Return to the Light
by Red Demon
Summary: Legolas is searching for help in another war, he finds what he is looking for but will he get the help that he needs or something else? 2 new chapters are up! R&R please.
1. The Meeting

Return to the Light  
  
Disclaimer: Legolas is not mine (wish he were though), some of the places are not mine but everything other that that is mine! Oh and for my friends sake of insanity: Roses are Red Violets are Blue Me no own, So you no sue!  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Fainu looked at the tall blonde haired person slipping in the shadows of the forest that was the home of her people; she fiery blue eyes tracked him easily as he moved. She moved to follow him, her black cape wrapped tightly around her. Suddenly he stopped and turned, his bow drawn right at her. She had seen all she needed to see, this stranger was an elf, and even though she was an elf as well he was a serious threat to her. For thousands of years her kind had been hunted, and they had dwindled and been forced to live near their greatest threat to be safe from the deadly aim of the other elves. She ducked and ran as the arrow whizzed by her. She growled under breath and pulled out her small throwing dagger, she spun and threw it at the pale elf that was chasing her.  
  
He dodged it and drew another arrow this one catching the hood of her cloak and driving into the tree behind her. She undid the fastening and raced on, leaving the protective cloak behind, hoping that she would be able to return and claim it again. Fainu continued on hearing the archer behind her. Dodging around trees, her movements were quicker with the loss of the cloak. Her heart raced, why must she fear them they had the same struggles as her people. An ancient darkness had arisen; their way of life would soon change forever. She continued on through trees constantly listening for the drawing of arrows, and the snap of a bow string.  
  
Fainu stopped, he was quiet, but not quiet enough, she turned quickly, drawing her dagger and deflected his arrow that had been intended for her head. His eyes held surprise at her skill. Fainu silently thanked her father for the extra training; she knew that she couldn't outrun the arrows anymore. The pale elf drew another arrow and aimed for her head. Looking directly into the face of her foe Fainu drew a breath quickly, preparing to defend herself at a shorter range than she was use to. He looked at her, and lowered his bow; he had never killed an elf before, much less a woman. Her quick action and skill had led him to believe he had been tracking one of his kind. Fainu was surprised at his actions but did not release the dagger.  
  
"Who are you and why are you here?" Fainu hissed, not sure about why the elf wasn't firing upon her.  
  
"I am Legolas Greenleaf. And I am here looking for the remainder of the dark elves that once lived here. Do you know of them?" The pale elf said calmly.  
  
"All who live near Mordor know of the Dark Elves. But why do you search for them?" Fainu said deftly spinning her dagger so that this Legolas couldn't see the elvish script on its blade.  
  
"It is said they know more about Mordor and the wards of the Dark Lords than most of the Vala. I am in need of their knowledge." Legolas said frowning, unsure of where these questions were going.  
  
"You seek their knowledge? Then I suggest you watch at whom you draw upon." Fainu smirked and tucked her hair behind her ears. Legolas' eyes narrowed, "So you are a dark elf. That would explain a lot."  
  
"For an elf you seem a bit slow when it comes to putting one and one together." Fainu frowned and walked up to him, now sure that he wasn't going to fire another arrow at her.  
  
"I thought you were an orc with the way you ran from me." Legolas said firmly setting his jaw.  
  
"An ORC! First you fire arrows at me and then you insult me, and you want my knowledge of the Dark Lords. Is there anything else you'd like your highness?" She growled as she moved closer to him, unsure of whether or not to see if he could do anything with a knife up close.  
  
"Well you do have one thing right." Legolas said backing away slightly.  
  
"I'm right about what? You being stupid or royal?" Fainu smirked as she looked up at him. She froze another snide comment caught mid-speech when their eyes met. He looked down at her and frowned even deeper.  
  
"I am the Prince of the Mirkwood Forest. I suggest you watch your tongue a bit. For an elf you aren't very well mannered." He leaned closer to her face. The smaller Dark elf's eyes widened slightly, and she moved to take a step away, but Legolas grabbed her shirt and held her. "You'd be best to learn to hold your thoughts until you know what it is you speak of."  
  
"And you as well!" Fainu snarled remembering the dagger in her hand. She spun it and held it under the pale elf's chin. "For you to don't hold you're thoughts well."  
  
Legolas let the female elf's shirt go and stood looking at the now seething elf. He waited for her to move, but she stood still looking at him in annoyance. "Leave." She finally hissed putting her dagger back in its small scabbard. "You will not have the knowledge that the Dark elves possess." With that she raced past him. "And I suggest leaving now. The orcs that guard Mordor are coming." She called over her shoulder, as she returned to where she had thrown her knife. Legolas turned, and followed quickly.  
  
"Why should I leave?" He asked as he raced to catch up to her.  
  
"Because you arrows are useless here. And you insulted me." Fainu said as she picked up the knife she had thrown before.  
  
"And you insulted me, what difference does it make?" Legolas said looking around for the orcs that she said were coming.  
  
"In the Dark elf society there are only a few people that are taught all of the history of our race. The rest are taught most of it and given fables for the rest of it. I'm one of the few that knows the truth. And the others would not tell you anything if I told them I was insulted by you. Even if you were a Dark elf." Fainu said as she stood from retrieving the knife. "You see I am the youngest daughter of the leader of my people." She pulled the arrow out of the tree and threw her cloak back over her shoulders and fastened it. She turned and smirked at him slightly before running off towards her home.  
  
"You're a woman, you're basically an elven princess, and you're out here alone?" Legolas shouted as he watched the girls retreating back.  
  
"Deal with it Princy!" Fainu called back over her shoulder.  
  
Legolas shook his head and ran after her, "You know I would appreciate it if you at least told me your name, since you know mine but refuse to use it." He called as the dark elf quickly went darted between the tight spacing between the trees.  
  
"I thought I told you to leave?" She called back slowing all the more so that she didn't have to twist her head around to talk to the elf.  
  
"You did tell me to get lost. But I still need the information that I came here for or I can not return." Legolas said as he caught up with her, he didn't know how she managed to slip through some of the spaces that she had.  
  
"If I tell you my name will that make you go away?" Fainu asked, as she held out an arm and stopped. Legolas pushed against her arm slightly and looked at her.  
  
"Why are we stopping? And no it won't make me go away, and I won't until I get what I need to. And that includes your name now." He said.  
  
"Well then I suggest that you follow me and don't go in front of me. You will get caught in the traps we've set for the orcs." Fainu rolled her eyes and walked on.  
  
"Why are we walking now?" Legolas asked confused at the sudden change in pace.  
  
"Because you don't seem to be able to slip through small spaces like me. So I have to take the long way for you." With that she led on.  
  
"Please tell me you name that way I don't look like a complete fool when we get to your home." Legolas asked following her exactly.  
  
"You mean you don't want me saying that I brought back the Mirkwood idiot?" Fainu half growled with annoyance.  
  
"No I don't." Legolas frowned indignantly.  
  
Fainu rolled her eyes. "Fainu. Now shut up so I can listen for orcs."  
  
The two elves walked on in silence. Legolas watched the forests as he followed the elf. He watched the cloak swirl behind the dark elf, he smirked slightly, he had never seen a female elf so independent, Arwen was the closest that he could even begin to compare. But she wouldn't dare insult anybody nor would she lead another elf. Suddenly Fainu spun and he walked right into her. She snarled angrily. "Quit watching me and start watching the forests, its bad enough that I can feel your breath on my back while we're journeying but I will not stand for you simply watching me walk." She frowned and turned back. Legolas shut his eyes, he hadn't even realized how closely he had been following her, but he knew that she was right. He followed a bit further back, and watched the forests; finally Fainu stopped again right in front of a shear cliff face.  
  
"Why are we here?" Legolas asked looking up at the towering wall."  
  
"This is home." Fainu said rolling her eyes. She bent near the stone and whispered softly in Dark elvish. Suddenly the stones moved away and opened to a dark tunnel. "There is only one place elves don't look for elves. In mines." With that Fainu stepped forward. She walked forwards; a knife was placed under her chin and one under Legolas'. Fainu frowned and glared at the holder of the knife. "What do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Who is this pale elf that you bring with you to our realm?" A deep voice asked, his face hidden by the black cloak.  
  
"I am Legolas Greenleaf of the Mirkwood forest." Legolas frowned and looked to the figure that held the dagger under his chin.  
  
"You brought one of our enemies here?" The elf snarled at Fainu.  
  
"He didn't kill me when he had the chance to. And he knows who I am, and he still didn't try to force me to bring him here. He's looking for knowledge not skins." Fainu hissed back. The cloaked elf by Fainu hissed something that Legolas couldn't understand and put away his dagger, the dagger under his chin never left though. Fainu turned and looked at him, "Itheal enough." Slowly the blade lowered and disappeared from sight.  
  
"Watch him closely Fainu or I'll have your hide instead of pretty boy."  
  
"Shut up Itheal." With that Fainu motioned to Legolas before walking on. Soon the mines became too dark for him to see anything.  
  
"Fainu?" Legolas asked as he stopped.  
  
"What now?" The Dark elf turned and looked at the prince, he stood still glancing about.  
  
"Where are you?" Legolas asked looking in the rough direction of her voice.  
  
"I'm two feet in front of you." Fainu took a step closer to him; the pale elf's eyes darted back and forth in the dark not focusing on her even though she was less than a foot from him now. "You can't see in this sort of darkness can you?"  
  
"No. I've never been in a place so black." Legolas continued to glance around.  
  
"Don't worry." Fainu grabbed his arm. "I'll lead you until we get to the main chamber." With that they walked on in silence. Every once in a while Legolas would hear whispers from nearby and Fainu would hiss a reply back but he never saw anything of the exchanges. Suddenly there was a dim light in front of him and he could make out faint outlines of elves in the shadows and parting from in front if Fainu.  
  
"Who are theses people?" Legolas asked softly.  
  
"They are the last of the Dark elves. We are nowhere near extinct." Fainu said dropping his hand and walking on. "I'm glad you can see, people were starting to spread rumors about us already." Fainu walked on the lighting the tunnel slowly increasing. Suddenly a little girl raced up to the Dark elf that was leading him deep into the cliff.  
  
"Fainu!" The little elf wrapped her arms around the Dark elf's legs. Fainu waited until the young elf had released her before she bent over and returned the hug. "Guess what I did Fainu!" The young elf chirped happily.  
  
"What did you do?" Fainu asked smiling at her older sister's daughter.  
  
"I gotta bull's eye twice!" The young girl said.  
  
"Really?" Fainu smiled at the little girl and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm proud of you. Are they still in the target?"  
  
"Yup I made daddy leave them there." The little girl beamed at the older dark elf proudly. Suddenly she saw Legolas and froze. "Who's he Fainu?" The little elf looked terrified.  
  
"He's okay Nurefwina. He isn't like the elves in the stories." Fainu said calmly and rubbed the girls back in soothing circles.  
  
"How do you know that?" Nurefwina asked grasping the older elf.  
  
"Well I'm a pretty young Dark elf. Don't you think that if he was going to do anything he would have done it to me?" Fainu asked the little girl.  
  
"Yeah, but-"  
  
"No buts Nurefwina." Fainu said standing up and picking up the little girl.  
  
Legolas looked at the little girl sadly, he didn't even know these stories but he knew that the stories were telling of the elves outside of this forest. The little girl watched him carefully as she held tightly to Fainu. Within five minutes they had walked though to the end of the tunnel, before him lay a vast hall, light beam flooded the entire room and trees grew in the hall, houses were built both on the ground around the trees and in the canopy. They reminded him of Rivendell and Lothlorien, the beauty of both captured and magnified. He stood soaking in the beautiful elven city.  
  
"Why do you look so shocked?" Nurefwina asked looking at him strangely. Do you not live in a place like this?" The young elf looked over at him. Fainu glanced over at him.  
  
"No I live in a place much like this but I was told that Dark elves didn't live in the same sort of place as I did." Legolas said still looking over the majestic trees that grew almost as up to just above the opening that they were standing in.  
  
"Lovely. We had better go to see my father before he sends his best men out to see if the rumors are true." Fainu said as she walked forward. The three elves wandered through the paths that had been built in the canopies. Legolas looked at everything quickly, the entire society was beautiful, he couldn't believe some of the things that they said, nor did he understand completely other things.  
  
"What's your name pale elf?" The young elf asked finally asked, he curiosity over coming her fear. This elf wasn't anything like the elves in the stories that she was told by the wise ones.  
  
"I'm Legolas." He said as he looked at the little elf and smiled slightly.  
  
"That's a strange name." She said before she tapped Fainu on the shoulder. The dark elf set her down and continued onward. Nurefwina waited until Legolas was walking beside her, "Where do you come from?" She asked looking up at him.  
  
"I come for Mirkwood Forest." He smiled slightly at the girl.  
  
"Do they have lots of orcs there?" She asked glancing at the weapons that were strapped to his back.  
  
"Yes we did. There use to be more before the last war but now they are almost all gone. Every once in a while there is a large group spotted." Legolas said calmly as he followed Fainu.  
  
"Really? We have lots of Orcs here sometimes they get really close to here and then Fainu and the other hunters have to go out and fight." Nurefwina said with wide eyes.  
  
"Fainu is a hunter?" Legolas asked, he had heard of the hunters from the stories of the dark elves, they were fearsome when they wanted to kill. "Don't they normally travel in threes though?"  
  
"Yeah she travels with Itheal and Quelithal." The young elf said happily as she raced towards Fainu.  
  
The three traveled fast, Legolas was surprised at how fast Nurefwina moved for her size. Finally they arrived at another tunnel on the far side of the chamber and Fainu entered it with out hesitating, this one was lit by flames that hung from the wall in beautiful bowls. When the emerged from the tunnel they were in another chamber filled with trees much like the other chamber but there were more houses in this one, water trickled down the walls and there was a small clear lake in the center. Fainu didn't even pause this time she just kept walking. Nurefwina and Legolas followed as quickly as they could,  
  
"Fainu is worried." Nurefwina said softly to Legolas. "If she doesn't talk to grandpa then she and you could end up in a lot of trouble."  
  
"What kind of trouble?" Legolas asked with a confused look on his face.  
  
"I don't know what they'll do to you but.I don't want them to hurt Fainu." The little elf hung her head. Suddenly Fainu stopped.  
  
"Come here Nurefwina." She said softly. When the small elf finally got to her she scooped her up and continued on whispering in dark elvish to the girl. Legolas suddenly felt bad for following her, she had told him to leave, and know she was going to her father to try to talk to him. Suddenly guards were all around them and they took Nurefwina from Fainu and pushed Him with the flats of their long knifes. Legolas watched in horror as Nurefwina shrieked in terror as Fainu had a blade put to her throat. Legolas froze as another was placed upon his throat.  
  
"I should have gotten rid of you at the entrance." Itheal growled at Legolas.  
  
"What do you think your doing Itheal?" Fainu frowned as she slowly moved to take out her own dagger. Suddenly the dagger was gone from under her chin and made a cut on her arm Fainu spun and threw a knife into the arm that held a dagger under Legolas' chin and held her own dagger and defended herself against the dangerous swings of Itheal. Legolas had pulled out both of his long knifes and had deflected another dagger that was aimed for his head, he didn't want to harm these elves that would just make their stories true and he didn't want that. Fainu lunged forward and cut Itheal across the stomach. The dark elf froze; he hadn't thought that one of his hunting partners would ever attack him, least of all Fainu. "I have not yet talked to my father. He doesn't know my side of the story. Let us pass or I finish you." Fainu snarled, Legolas stood behind her his knives ready to defend himself yet again. Itheal snarled back, but stepped aside. The group of elves with him held their weapons away from Fainu. She turned and grabbed Legolas, with that the two walked towards where her father was. Legolas followed her quickly and looked at the deep cut on her forearm, blood dripped onto the floor as she speed up.  
  
"You're wounded." He said softly reaching for the arm.  
  
"No kidding. That's why I have to hurry, or I might not get to my father before I pass out." She growled, and blinked back the darkness. She was close to were she needed to be, Legolas caught up to her and grabbed the wounded arm and held it tight. "What are you doing?" Fainu asked as she pushed open the large white doors that were between her and her father.  
  
"If you bleed to death how am I going to get home." He said calmly as she continued on.  
  
"Fainu I'm glad Itheal-why is he still alive?" Her father hissed angrily.  
  
"What I want to know is why you sent Itheal to kill me!" Fainu growled back pulling her wounded arm away from Legolas. Her father froze, at the sight of the wound.  
  
"Itheal did that to you?" The dark elf king stood and walked down to his daughter.  
  
"Yes, that was the first blood drawn." Legolas said as he watched Fainu weaken.  
  
"Who said you were to speak for my daughter?" The dark elf grabbed the wounded arm and began to heal it. Fainu cried out in agony as she dropped to the floor unconscious. "Guards take him to a holding cell until Fainu wakes up. Make sure that he is treated well." With that the king let go of his daughters arm and went back to hi throne. Legolas looked at the dark elf; he seemed to have aged dramatically within the last few minutes. He watched as another dark elf cam and took Fainu away as a guard led him out of the room.  
  
"Will Fainu be alright?" He asked the guard.  
  
"For now. Until her father decides what to do with the both of you." The guard said as he put the elf prince in a small cell. 


	2. Escape from Dark Elf Realm

Disclaimer: See top of first chapter.  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Fainu woke slowly, she was in her bed, and she felt sick. She forced herself to sit up; her entire body felt like it had been crushed and broken.  
  
"How could you do that Fainu? How could you bring an elf like him into our home? I realize that he looks like Kallieere but it doesn't mean that it is him. Kallieere died almost five-hundred years ago." Her father said harshly.  
  
"I know. I told him not to follow to leave but he wouldn't and I couldn't kill him, and I don't want him to die." Fainu whispered. "Let him go home, he doesn't care to kill us, he had plenty of chances to kill me after he got in here and he didn't. Itheal and I were the only ones to draw blood. Let him go." Suddenly she felt her head jerk back.  
  
"Are you stupid girl? Nurefwina has more common sense than you do. If he's released he will return with an army to destroy us. There is only one way to deal with this. He has to die." The Lord of the Dark elves hissed into her ear, with that he walked out of her room. Fainu didn't even think that he would lock the door, until there was a faint click. She stood slowly unsure of her ability to walk. She tried the doorknob hoping that it would turn even though she was already sure that it wouldn't. She instinctively reached for her knife to pry the lock off but grasped thin air. She cried out in rage, before hitting the door. She narrowed her eyes before she slowly went over to the chest where she had hidden another knife among the dresses and formal wear that her mother had given her before she died "I always knew theses dresses would be useful." She whispered under her breath as she pulled out the knife. She was beginning to feel better already. She crouched by the door and listened for a couple seconds before carefully prying at the handle. Within a couple minutes she was free of her room and heading towards the holding cells, where Legolas would be being held. Her silent foot steps went undetected as she slipped down to the ground level and to the huge trees that had the cells built around them. She glanced around the corner to see that the only guard was a friend of hers. She walked calmly up to him.  
  
"Hello Fainu, if you're here about the pale elf he's already gone your father said that you had ordered it. Fainu's face dropped slightly.  
  
"What is he planning on doing?" She asked barely above a whisper.  
  
"He's going to kill him. Didn't you order it?" The guard asked slightly confused.  
  
"No. I didn't." Fainu combed her mind for solutions. "Where is the execution to take place?" She asked finally.  
  
"At the center of the lake so everybody can see it." The guard said softly.  
  
"Thanks!" With that Fainu raced of knowing how to at least stall time for Legolas. She raced to the range that they used and grabbed the two knives that Nurefwina had left in the target then rushed to the lake hoping that she wasn't too late. The platform that her father kept for ceremonies was already in the center of the lake and there was no way that she could make that far of a throw, nor swim that far undetected. She looked down at the water defeated, then turned to get away from the ceremony when she saw two children playing with the bow that Legolas had used.  
  
"Give me that." Fainu reached for the bow. "Do you know where the arrows are?"  
  
"Sure Fainu." The young elf pointed to the quiver that was half up the stairs.  
  
"Thanks." She put the bow down and hoped over the railing to the stairs she raced up them two at a time until she reached the quiver. And then she sat on the rail and slid down it like when she was a child and laded by the bow. She picked it up and nocked an arrow.  
  
"Cool so that's why it didn't do anything!" The little elf boy cried happily. Fainu pulled back the string and aimed at the rope that held Legolas' arm down. She knew that it couldn't be too different from throwing so she aimed slightly higher than her target and let the arrow fly.  
  
Legolas heard the swish of an arrow fly by him and a slight pain in his right hand. He looked down past his feet to see Fainu nocking another arrow. Then he glanced at his hand. There was a slight scrape on his wrist but his hand was completely free of the rope that had held him. While the people that were going to execute him turned away he undid his left hand.  
  
Crowds were starting to gather around the lake, and Fainu was struggling to keep her position by the waters edge. She knew that she would have to work fast to get Legolas off that platform. She drew back this arrow and aimed for the rope that held his right foot, and shot. This arrow didn't cut through the entire rope like before. She bit her lip not knowing what to do. She didn't dare shoot any closer than what she already had. Legolas looked at the ropes that held his feet then reached to undo the left foot. Fainu nocked the last arrow in the quiver and prepare to fire at the other people on the platform.  
  
Suddenly Legolas heard a cry from directly above him, he glance back over his shoulder to see an arrow piercing through one of his executioners forearm. He pulled the arrow out and used it to cut the last part of the rope on his right foot then spun to the other side of the table. His left foot still half bound. He pulled on the knot again and it undid enough for him to slip his foot through it. He crouched down as the two other executioners descended upon him; he knew that one was Fainu's father. He glanced to the shore were Fainu was standing but knew that she was out of arrows and he was on his own. He looked at the table; it had a couple knives on it. If he could get to them he'd be able to talk them into going back to the edge of the lake. But they had cut him off rather well. The wounded dark elf stayed in the center and the others circled around the table from opposite directions. Finally he took two steps back off the platform into the water; it felt like all of the air in his lungs had been sucked out. The cold water rushed over his head as he went under for a couple seconds before resurfacing. He began to swim for the shore; he was already shaking from the water temperature.  
  
Fainu raced towards the part of the shore that Legolas would swim to. Already the guards that her father had arranged to watch the ceremony to make sure things went smoothly were heading there as well. She glanced to Legolas who was swimming as fast as could be expected with the frigid water temperatures. When she got to the spot on the shore he was hardly half way and the guards that were coming from the other side of the lake were almost there as well. Fainu pulled out the two long knives that Legolas kept attached to the quiver. The other dark elves around her backed away, they knew that she was a hunter and as such was skilled at fighting almost beyond the guards that were coming.  
  
"Fainu! Stand down or you while face exile!" Her father shouted from the platform from the middle of the lake.  
  
Fainu shut her eyes for a moment then looked at Legolas, who had spared her from death when they had been in the forest earlier. She crossed the long knifes then drew a circle that partially went into the water. "If any crosses this line except for the pale elf the knives I hold will taste their flesh and blood."  
  
The guards stopped just outside of the circle for a moment unsure of whether or not she was bluffing. One of the guards finally crossed the line but only slightly.  
  
Fainu looked at him; he was the one that had told her that Legolas was to be killed. "Step back I don't want to harm you." She whispered.  
  
"No." With that the guard took another step in only to have Fainu swing the long knives and cut his armor through.  
  
"Please step back." She repeated. Fainu looked at Legolas he was getting closer and closer.  
  
"You know that I can't disobey my Lord." With that he stepped forwards again, his own sword out. Fainu spun and blocked an attack from behind her and cutting her friends stomach. She knew that she was going to be fighting from now on until the death. The guards wouldn't simple wound her anymore. After she had wounded three more of the guards she heard Legolas splashing through the shallow water at the edge of the lake. She cut two more guards before she backed up towards the water. She felt Legolas wrap an arm around her to support himself. She could feel the coolness of his body through her clothing. She edged led him towards the nearest set of stairs so they could get to the canopy to get to the exit. She had to spin to block attacks a couple times. But they made it to the stairs and began the long climb up the stairs.  
  
"Why are you helping me?" Legolas asked looking at her.  
  
"I'll tell you later. Maybe." Fainu said as she kept going, Legolas looked at her and frowned but continued onwards.  
  
"Where did you learn to shoot like that?" Legolas asked as they reached the top of the long winding stair case.  
  
"I didn't. Those were flukes, dark elves use knives. The only reason I knew what to do was I saw you earlier." Fainu said calmly, as Legolas began to move better under his own power.  
  
"Oh. Well you aren't touching my bow again until you're taught properly." With that the two elves raced across the bridges between trees. When the reached the entrance tunnel Fainu grabbed he arm and kept running, she knew the way by memory and she didn't need to slow down at all. Legolas followed her knowing that she was his only way out of the darkness of the tunnel. When they finally emerged Fainu kept running still holding onto his arm. At first he didn't know why, he could see now.  
  
"Why-"  
  
"The traps we set can catch you from both sides." Fainu said never slowing down, when Legolas saw a throwing knife burrow into a tree beside him and he knew why. He was slow enough that the other elves could stay in throwing range.  
  
"How long will they follow us?" He asked as he picked up his speed.  
  
"Until they kill us or until we get well beyond the border of our land." Fainu said as she picked up her speed as Legolas came closer. She knew that if Legolas misplaced a foot then he would get caught in a trap.  
  
"Where is the edge of your lands?" He asked following her exact footsteps.  
  
"Roughly where I first saw you but that was a while before you saw me." She said as she finally cleared the traps that had been set for enemies she let go of Legolas' arm. "We're clear of the traps now." She said as they both sped up picking paths that each suited their own abilities of racing through the close growing trees. Fainu led the way, being able to navigate through tighter spaces and knowing the paths through the forest. Once they were clear of the tight trees Legolas began to catch up with the smaller elf. Her dark clothing no longer blended into the foliage as well as they had before. With in moments he was leading, he knew where he was going now, Fainu followed as quickly as she could but his strides were longer than her, she jumped off a fallen log to see a dagger fly over her head towards Legolas. He moved around a tree just as it caught him. She ducked down and raced even faster, behind her she could hear her once friends tracking her. Legolas never looked back until he got to the edge of the forest; he saw that Fainu was a fair way's back being smaller than him and most of the other elves that chased her. He kept going backwards watching the dark elf, he didn't want her to die he needed her to survive until they got to Mirkwood. As soon as she got free of the bushes she began to run faster, Legolas turned back around and whistled for the horse that he had left there. He saw the horse a way off, running towards him, he glanced over his shoulder at Fainu, she was running at the same speed as him. He stuck out an arm and pulled himself onto the horse, and raced towards Fainu. The stallion responded quickly and soon the dark elf was behind him. Her arms wrapped tightly around him, he glanced over his shoulder at the dark elves that had chased them then at the dark elf that was holding him so tightly. Once they were far enough away he slowed the horse to a walk.  
  
"You don't need to hold me so tightly." Legolas said softly touching Fainu's arms.  
  
"Yes I do." She said shakily.  
  
"Have you never gone horseback riding?" Legolas asked laughing softly.  
  
"No. You saw where I lived." She said shakily.  
  
"Oh sorry." Legolas stopped the horse, "I'm going to switch places with you. You'll have to get off the horse though."  
  
"How?" Fainu asked looking at the ground it wasn't that high but she wasn't sure of the animal that she was on.  
  
"Swing your right leg over to the same side as your left and slide of its side." Legolas calmly explained.  
  
"Okay." Fainu loosened her grip on Legolas and did as he instructed. She landed on the ground lightly; she turned and looked at Legolas who had moved back on the beasts back. "Can't I walk for a while before I have to get back on that thing?" She asked eyeing the horse suspiciously.  
  
"It's a horse." Legolas smiled at the face that the dark elf made when she was critically studying the beast. And I'll let you walk when we get further from your old home." He reached down to her. "Jump." Fainu sprung lightly and Legolas easily pulled her in front of him.  
  
"What am I suppose to hold onto?" Fainu asked looking at cream colored hair that ran down the neck of the horse.  
  
"You don't need to hold onto anything we aren't moving, but I'll take back my weapons now that way it's easier for me to hold onto you." Legolas said watching Fainu carefully as she undid the clasp that held the quiver to her back. "I'm surprised that you actually knew how to put that thing on."  
  
"I never shot a bow before today either.' Fainu said rolling her eyes.  
  
Legolas slipped the quiver over his head then did it up; he repositioned how the bow was hung over it so that it would be more comfortable, before gathering the reigns in one hand and wrapping the other around Fainu. She spooked slightly at the touch, Legolas looked at the back of her head, slightly confused. "I've seen wild horses that are friendlier than you are." With that he pushed the horse into a trot.  
  
"If I ever tell you why I helped you you'd understand." Fainu said calmly.  
  
Legolas raised an eyebrow about to tell her that they had along time until they got to his home but decided against it. After a couple hours of being on the horse Legolas could tell that she was more comfortable on the horse. She shifted with the horses body movements naturally now and was far more relaxed when he loosened his grip. "You know if I had brought another horse I would let you ride one by yourself." He said finally breaking the silence.  
  
"Yeah right. I'd probably end up falling off, and the poor thing wouldn't know which way to go." Fainu laughed.  
  
"You would catch on to that fairly fast." Legolas said calmly, "All you have to do is direct the horse with the reigns." He took one of her hands and slipped the leather straps between her fingers. He felt her body tense slightly. "Don't tense up, the horse can feel it. Don't worry I have the ends of the reigns." Fainu glanced back over her shoulder at the pale elf that she had saved earlier then back to the horizon between the horse's ears. "Turn left." Legolas said softly in her ear knowing that the horse would respond to his verbal commands.  
  
Fainu bit her bottom lip and moved the hand holding the reigns to the left the horse responded instantly. "Why are you talking in my ear?" She asked slightly aggravated.  
  
"Because this is my horse, I trained him to respond to my voice I don't need to use reigns." Legolas answered. "Go home, Felwin."  
  
The horse turned back to the direction that they had been going, Fainu dropped the reigns. Her eyes wide, Legolas gathered the reigns and laughed. "You truly are easier to spook than a new foal."  
  
"Since you compared me to a horse before I'd assume that you still are and I don't overly appreciate it." Fainu growled.  
  
Legolas laughed, "Alright." He glanced over his shoulder at the now distant forest that they had escaped from, it was many leagues away. "Do you want to walk now or are you happy riding now?"  
  
"I'd walk, but I could see you eventually telling me to get back on the horse before the end of the day so I'll stay here." Fainu said scratching the horse's neck.  
  
"You're right about that." Legolas said smiling, this dark elf was smarter than most of the elven women that he knew. But she also held more secrets than any other person he knew. 


	3. To Lothlorien

Chapter 3  
  
Disclaimer: See Ch. 1  
  
Many days passed as the two elves traveled, the desolation of the outskirts of Mordor left both ill spirited. Both were weary of the other for many days but soon after they passed into the land of Gondor they began to grow accustom to each other.  
  
Legolas pulled back slightly on the reigns, Fainu had fallen asleep earlier in his arms and was now nestled against him. Every so often she'd whisper softly in dark elvish, he looked down at her and smiled slightly, she looked innocent, none of the blood that she shed showed in her eyes or face. He slid off Felwin and laid her down on his mantle before building a fire. Happy that she would be safe for a while he left to catch some food.  
  
It was easy enough to find food in the forest, but far more difficult to catch it considering he was out of arrows even if he was grateful that the last one had been used to save him he still wished for a full quiver. After he had caught a bird to cook he found some berries before returning to the edge of the forest where he had left Fainu. The dark elf was still sound asleep and didn't even stir when he put more logs on the fire. He sat against a tree and plucked the bird, the entire time watching the girl that had saved his life, unlike all the other elves that he knew she slept with her eyes shut. He but the small bird over the fire to cook and leaned back allowing himself to rest for the time being, they had traveled well into the night without stopping for food during the day's travels.  
  
Fainu's nose twitched, she could smell something strange, and she opened an eye to see the bird, cooking ready to be turned. She slowly sat up and looked at Legolas who was resting against a tree, she could tell that he was a sleep even if his eyes were open; she went to the fire and turned the bird. She looked at the small pile of berries that Legolas had gathered, then at the mantle he had placed her on. She picked it up and dusted it off before putting it over him. With that she returned to the food and waited for it to finish cooking. The fire hissed every time fat dribbled down onto the burning logs before it would flare up. Once she was happy with how the bird looked she took it off of the fire. She moved to where Legolas was sleeping and sat beside him.  
  
"Wake up Legolas." Fainu said calmly. The pale elf shook his head and looked at her then at the finished bird, it was smaller than most of the other meals they had found but then she knew Mordor better so she had hunted with the knives she had taken.  
  
"Thanks." Legolas pulled out a small package and took out two small pieces of lembas.  
  
Fainu stared at the small biscuit blankly as he held it out to her. Before taking it carefully. She looked it over before looking back at him. "What is it?"  
  
Legolas smirked slightly. "Lembas, elven way bread. It tastes good but gets repetitive if it's all you can have. And there are some desolate places that we will have to cross to get to my home."  
  
Fainu nodded and took a small bite of the biscuit; it tasted like a warm place, welcoming and friendly. "It's good."  
  
"I'm glad you like it. There may be days when that is all you'll be eating." Legolas touched the bird; it was still warm but not to hot to hold for a long time. He pulled it off the stick and used his knife to cut it in half. He handed her half, Fainu looked t him closely then moved to the other side of the fire where she quickly ate the small piece of meat. Legolas watched her carefully noting how she watched him rather than her food. Once she was finished the meat she nibbled on the way bread. Her sharp eyes watching his every movement, Legolas didn't know why she was watching him so closely now after she had trusted him with the horseback riding and had slept in his arms.  
  
"Are you ever going to tell me about why you saved me?" He asked finally how she was acting towards him confused him. At times she seemed to be happy and content to be near him then other times she was on edge almost ready to attack him.  
  
"Umm." Fainu looked up at him, her blue eyes reflecting the firelight. "Your remind me of someone." She finally said.  
  
"I remind a dark elf of someone? Don't you normally only associate with your own kind?" Legolas asked frowning slightly.  
  
"Of course that's all we normally associate with, but you look like him with the exception of your hair and cloths, you act like him, you even smell like him." Fainu said angrily then shut her mouth realizing what she had said.  
  
"He? What was he to you? Since you're so protective of him." Legolas asked slowly pulling off another bite of meat from the bone.  
  
"It doesn't matter. It's not like you are him." Fainu said looking down and curling her legs up to her chest.  
  
"It does matter I want to know who I remind you of so that I know what I shouldn't do in your presence." Legolas said calmly.  
  
"Propose." Fainu growled under her breath, glaring at him.  
  
"I remind you of the elf you're engaged to?" Legolas said a he tried to cough up the piece of meat he'd swallowed whole when he heard what she said.  
  
"Was engaged to. He died almost five centuries ago." Fainu whispered struggling to keep her voice in check.  
  
"Oh. I'm so sorry." Legolas said realizing that why she had been moody with him. "How did he die?"  
  
"He was killed defending me when I was still the proper young elf." Fainu smirked slightly at the last part.  
  
Legolas lowered his head, everything fell in place now. She hadn't killed him before because she had reminded her of the one that she'd loved and she'd saved him because she had been able to and she had wanted to make up for the death of the person she loved. "I'm sorry." He whispered, he moved over to the small elf and put his mantle back over her shoulders. He stayed beside her, not knowing what else to do, he had never heard of any elf surviving the loss of their mate. Normally the other passed on into the Vala's halls not long after or so his father told him. But the dark elves seemed so different, they had been Morgoths servants in the first war and they had escaped from the Dark Lord. Somehow he had tainted them and he felt guilt suddenly for all the times head heard stories about the dark elves and how viscous they were and believed them with out a second thought.  
  
"When I was younger I was told stories about dark elves and I believed them. But from what I've seen today I don't know what is true anymore." Legolas whispered.  
  
"Don't worry about it too much I've been told some things about pale elves." Fainu smirked. "What are you even called?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Legolas looked at her.  
  
"In all of our stories your kind is known as pale elves, we are dark elves but I'm sure that you aren't actually called pale elves." Fainu snorted at the thought of a rave of elves being called pale.  
  
"No, there are lots of types of pale elves. I'm a Sindarian Elf, there other types of elves, some even look like Dark elves but they aren't." Legolas said calmly.  
  
"Sindarian." Fainu smirked, "I can see why it was changed to pale if it was ever known. That would be difficult enough to get right simply speaking it." Fainu said laughing slightly.  
  
"Is it true that you can smell twice as good and a wolf?" Legolas asked.  
  
"I don't know, the only wolves that I've ever seen were the dead ones that had carried orcs. I can smell things really well though; I woke up when the meat started to cook. It was different then anything else I'd smelt recently so it woke me up." Fainu said calmly. "And yes I can see in the dark as you've seen already. If that is in any of the stories that you were told as a child. By the way how old were you anyway you talk about these memories as if they were a distant memory."  
  
"How old do you think I am?" Legolas asked looking at the smaller elf he thought of her as close to a thousand years old but then appearances could be deceiving when it came to elves.  
  
"Well over a thousand but that's all I'd even be able to tell by how much you've told me." She said looking closely at the elf that sat beside her.  
  
"If I were only well over a thousand I would feel young." Legolas laughed. "I'm close to three thousand years old."  
  
"And how old do you think I am then since you asked me to guess your age?" Fainu looked at him.  
  
"I'd have to guess over a thousand as well." Legolas said calmly.  
  
"Ha! The only Dark elf older than one thousand years old is my father. The rest don't get that old. Orcs or other pale elves kill them. I've seen my kind being slaughtered by other elves it is not a pretty sight. The only reason my father has survived is because he never leaves the chambers. The darkness wards off any enemies because it's humid in there so flames go out and like you elves are blind. I'm hardly six hundred years old, I'd probably die in another hundred years or so anyway." Fainu frowned at the though  
  
"You picked your life mate in under a hundred years?" Legolas froze. "Where I live you aren't considered an adult until you're well over a hundred."  
  
"Yes but I'd also assume that most of your kind lives to well over a thousand. We hardly ever make it to a thousand." Fainu said absently looking up at the sky, for once it wasn't over cast by the billowing fumes of Mount Doom or one of the lesser vents that spewed dark gases ash high into the air. Legolas followed her gaze.  
  
"Have you seen the stars before?" Legolas asked softly.  
  
"Only once, when it gets dark we cast a spell that seals the doors and they can only be opened from the inside the caverns. The hills swarm with orcs and goblins at night. Somehow we survived the night, it was the only time I ever saw the stars. I didn't appreciate them then." Fainu smiled at Legolas suddenly. "I'm almost glad I'm exiled. My father didn't exactly value me for anything. I don't think he would have flinched if I had been in your place on that platform on the lake."  
  
"That would have never happened if you lived where I do. The worst that would ever happen to you there is you might see an orc. Normally the women don't leave the city so very few have actually seen them." Legolas said calmly.  
  
"I would go insane if I were guarded that closely." Fainu laughed.  
  
"Perhaps you would. You seem to be able to defend yourself well enough that you would get bored sitting around talking." Legolas smirked at the thought of Fainu in a long formal dress that the elven women normally wore where he lived and her acting like a proper lady, especially after the way she'd defended herself and him. "We should rest. We will be moving early tomorrow." He said finally standing up and walking over to the tree where he had fallen asleep earlier.  
  
Fainu nodded absently and looked at the stars above her for a few more minutes before curling up in a small ball near the fire and falling asleep. Noises from the wood kept her from falling into a deep sleep, every time something strange made a noise near them she would open and eye then close it. Finally she fell asleep enough that she simply heard the noises but didn't pay them any heed. Finally she woke to the sound of soft footsteps. She was sure that they came from Legolas because no Orc moved so silently, and if a dark elf wished they would not move so noisily. She opened her eyes to discover a thick gray mist in the air that blocked her vision; she had never been in such a thing that it almost frightened her that something was wrong with her eyes. Suddenly she saw a shadowy figure moving towards her and she jumped back.  
  
"Your high strung this morning." Legolas said softly leading Felwin.  
  
"I can no see well right now." She growled aggravated wiping at her eyes.  
  
Legolas stepped closer to her, and laughed slightly at the sight as she rubbed her eyes and blinked. "It is fog. You can't make it go away by rubbing your eyes, it's not even you're eyes that are the problem." He stopped beside her and scratched its muzzle softly.  
  
"Fog? We don't get fog where I live." She frowned.  
  
"No? I thought with that huge lake in the cavern it would." Legolas said climbing onto Felwins back. He put his hand down for Fainu to grab, she sighed and jumped up onto the horses back in front of him.  
  
"The lake is spelled so that very few people can withstand it. I don't know if I would have survived it." Fainu said calmly. "It doesn't give off this fog substance."  
  
"You mean I basically did something that couldn't be accomplished by other elves?" Legolas asked slightly frightened.  
  
"Most die when they first jump into the water. I figured you were as good as dead but when you started to swim to the edge I knew that you were at least going to need help once you got out." Fainu said softly. "Can you see through fog?"  
  
"No I can't." Legolas said calmly letting his horse take it's own path through the fog.  
  
"But how-"  
  
"Felwin knows the way in the fog he doesn't need to see to be able to find Mirkwood." Legolas said calmly.  
  
Fainu nodded and watched the mists swirled around them. She thought that she could see things through the mist but then they would disappear. Legolas watched her, she seemed to be in awe of fog, and at the same time she seemed frightened by it. He knew that soon the mists would vanish and she would see the flat plains that they should be in, already the fog was beginning to thin. The sunlight shot through the mist making bursts of color appear as the small droplets disappeared in the sun. Fainu looked around rocks that lay scattered across the grassy plain; the long grass brushed the bottom of her bare feet. She thought that it was extremely neat, she had never seen grass that long nor had it ever been soft enough to tickle her feet she lifted her legs slightly so that the grass wouldn't reach her.  
  
"Why are you lifting your feet?" Legolas asked feeling the slight shift in weight.  
  
"The grass tickles the bottom of my feet." Fainu said shaking her head slightly.  
  
Legolas glanced down; he hadn't noticed that she wasn't wearing any shoes. "What happened to your shoes?"  
  
"They got left back in the caverns in my room when my father told me what was happening to you." Fainu said softly.  
  
"When we get to Mirkwood perhaps I can talk my father into giving you some boots that will fit you." Legolas said calmly as Felwin walked towards his home.  
  
"Mirkwood? I have never heard of that realm before you spoke oaf it, Lothlorien I have heard of before the Lady of the Woods there hunts us regularly now." Fainu asked looking back over she shoulder at him ever so slightly. She disliked being at such close quarters with other people but she was beginning to loathe him for reminding her of Kallieere.  
  
"Lady Galadriel, and Lord Celeborn, I could see why they would, they dislike any creature other than the fairest." Legolas said calmly, "We will be traveling far from their realm."  
  
Fainu stayed silent, she knew those names and she was trying to remember where she had learnt them. "Galadriel." She whispered under her breath. She played with the bottom of Felwins mane as she repeated the name in her head.  
  
  
  
Legolas was caught off guard when she jerked back. He didn't even know that he had relaxed his grip on her until she was on the ground. He stopped Felwin and looked down at her, her eyes were wide and darted back and forth scanning everything around her. "Fainu? Are you alright?" The dark elf glanced up at him for a second before darting into the tall grass and away from him. He turned Felwin towards the place where the dark elf had been only seconds before. He gazed over the plains looking for any indication of where the young elf had gone. His misty eyes frantically darted over the long grass when there were no movements or sounds in the grass other than the wind. His head jerked towards a slight cry to his left. "Fainu?" He slipped of Felwin's back and led the horse in the direction of the noise. He traveled for the rest of the day before he came upon the dark elf. She was curled up on the ground, an arm covering her head as if she had been attacked. He knelt beside her and put a hand beside her lips, afraid that she had been killed the way she laid so still. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the soft puff of warm air on the back of his hand. He gently lifted her up she was limp in his arms, he gently lifted her onto Felwins back, she was cool to the touch.  
  
"What devilry touched you in the open that you would fall like this?" Legolas asked the unmoving elf.  
  
"Angry star fields." Fainu mumbled quietly so that even Legolas with his sharp elven hearing was not fully sure of what she had said.  
  
Legolas climbed up behind Fainu and wrapped an arm around her and softly whispered to Felwin and they raced across the grassy field towards the Realm of Galadriel, even if Fainu was hunted by the Lady's guards she would need to be healed and he was now closer to Lothlorien then home she had traveled to far south. It would still be many days but now since he did not know what had happened to Fainu, nor why he would rather race to the Golden forest then waste another day traveling back the way he had come to go to Mirkwood then attempt to get through it safely with the orcs that still roamed about for another day before reaching his home.  
  
That night he didn't stop, Felwin knew the way and he would be able to hold the dark elf while he rested his mind as long as she didn't wake up. He woke half way through the night, he was well into Gondor and Fainu was still limp in his arms. Again he looked her over, trying to find a wound or something to indicate what had happened but the only thing that he found was her skin was getting paler and paler. He frowned he didn't know of anything that could do this to an elf, unless it was magic but then he could do nothing nor could his father, Galadriel and Elrond were the only ones that he knew could heal. He pulled out his small water pouch and poured a few drops in Fainu's mouth, he didn't dare get her to eat lembas while she was like this. He nibbled on one of the biscuits and shifted Fainu slightly so that he could hold her with the other arm. He was worrying about what would happen to Fainu if Galadriel deemed the dark elf was too dangerous to help.  
  
He didn't remember most of the trip it went by in a blur, of sleeping while Felwin walked on to Lothlorien and cantering towards the forest while he was awake. Fainu was getting worse and wore as time wore on she no longer looked alive and if it weren't for the slight movement of her chest with her breathing he would have assumed that she was dead. He was relieved to see the edge of the forest in the distance. He pulled Felwin into a trot and began to check Fainu again, she hadn't changed much in the last day but then he didn't know if she would still be alive she got any worse than what she was now.  
  
Legolas pulled Felwin to a stop just outside of the forest, arrows were trained on him and the elf that he held. Legolas tightened his grip about the dark elf's stomach and raised his chin slightly.  
  
"Why do you bring such a vile creature to the Realm of the Lady?" One of the archers asked.  
  
"I bring not a vile creature but a friend that is more worth while than all the riches and knowledge of even Lord Celeborn." He glared at the archers who held arrows drawn ready to kill the elf he held tightly.  
  
"You value this 'friend' that much?" The older elf raised an eyebrow at the Mirkwood prince, and then motioned to an elf hidden in the forests. Legolas watched the pale elf slip deep into the forest to bring tidings to the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien. 


	4. Revived for Magic

Chapter 4  
  
Disclaimer: U should already know what I am going to say.(Oh yeah and there's a bit of a spoiler in the author babble.most of you won't see it though.)  
  
And for a change:  
  
AUTHOR BABBLE!:  
  
RD: Kara J?  
  
Kara: Yeah too many people were Karamel.  
  
RD: *WHINE* But now I have to change my Twelve days of Christmas!  
  
Kara: Live with it.  
  
RD: I hate you. LEGOLAS!  
  
Kara: Uh-oh..poor bugger.  
  
Legolas: (Worried look on face) Yes?  
  
RD: She depressed me.Come here. (Latches on to elf.)  
  
Legolas: (Looks at Kara with intent to kill written all over face.)  
  
Kara: (Shrugs) I'll be going now. (Tries to sneak of through side door.)  
  
RD: No, Aragorn can't toss you to the bridge; he's still working on getting Gimli out of Mordor. You know the punishment that I gave the little midget for not behaving in the 12 Days? And I have Legolas.  
  
Kara: (Backs away slowly) Fine I'll go hide in the caves.  
  
Legolas: Can we work on the story?  
  
RD: Hmmm..good idea  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Legolas sat waiting, he did not like having arrows stuck in his face but he couldn't do much else. He didn't want to have to turn back to Mirkwood and try to get Elrond to come quickly from Rivendell, he didn't think that the dark elf would last that long. He shifted her again and glared at the archers. "I came here for help and this is how I am treated?"  
  
"If you had not brought that." The archer said motioning to the still form. "You would have been let in quickly."  
  
"You very well know that what I bring was once like us. Even though she might be a Dark elf she is still an elf." Legolas growled.  
  
"They were servants of the first Dark Lord. I don't think that the Lady will want anything to do with her." The elf frowned in disgust.  
  
"We will see about that." Legolas growled under his breath. He didn't like waiting for Lady Galadriel, even if it was only the life of a dark elf she didn't know what this elf had done.  
  
"The Lady will allow them to enter." The messenger said as he ran up to the archer that held his arrow aimed fro Fainu's forehead. "But she wants the Dark elf well guarded incase she is faking"  
  
Legolas nodded and handed the reigns over to the elf and made sure Fainu was alright, he disliked having to let her be an open target but if this was the only way to get Galadriel's help then he would have to comply.  
  
"Don't try to keep her safe Prince Legolas. You have brought a dangerous being into the Lady's realm; she wants to speak to you about her." The messenger said coolly. Legolas nodded but didn't loosen his grip on the dark elf.  
  
"I have my limits of what I will allow. I will not let you kill her without a fight." Legolas looked down his nose at the elf.  
  
The messenger looked at him and snarled, but allowed the prince to continue to hold the dark elf. They led them through the ancient forest quickly; soon the small caravan reached the home of Galadriel. An eerie calmness and serenity had come over the realm; Legolas could feel it he didn't like it and he tightened his grip on the elf in his arms. He glanced up at the tree tops, Galadriel looked down at him.  
  
"Calm yourself Legolas; you will crush the elf before I can do anything." She said softly.  
  
The prince looked up at her, their eyes locked he loosened his grip only slightly. He didn't want the person who had saved his life to face death.  
  
"She will be fine with me Legolas. It is not I that neither you, nor your companion needs to fear. I know the past of the dark elves, bring her here."  
  
Legolas slid off Felwin; he gently carried the smaller elf up the stairs to the Lady. Galadriel looked at the pale face of Fainu; she ran her fingers over the girls face.  
  
"She is far gone Legolas, but I must ask to keep her here after I heal her to gather her magic." Galadriel said softly.  
  
"No, she has already told me that she knows about Lothlorien. Please I have only gotten her trust." He backed away slightly.  
  
"I will not let harm come to her when I gather her magic, she will be well cared for." Galadriel's serine face didn't change as she looked at the dark elf.  
  
Legolas stayed still for a long time weighing his options, he could leave and try to reach Rivendell but risk having Elrond say the same or simply saying no to helping him. He looked at Fainu he already knew that either way she wouldn't be happy if she were healed by either elf, she knew Lothlorien so she would probably know Rivendell. "Fine but I want to stay with her the entire time."  
  
"No, no one will be with her. Not even me. When her magic is being gathered it is dangerous to any living thing in the same room. If the being doesn't have enough magic then they die, but I can make it so that it gathers all but a tiny amount so that she lives." Galadriel whispered.  
  
Legolas glared at Galadriel. "If there were another choice I would take it in an instant but you know that I don't."  
  
Galadriel nodded and with that she leaned close to the girls face. "Tul aldamo morne feanor, i silme entuulda feanor-lya.*" She stood up when the dark elf stirred slightly in Legolas' arms.  
  
"Thank you Lady Galadriel." Legolas managed to say before he set Fainu's feet on the ground.  
  
Fainu curled slightly into Legolas; she still couldn't distinguish between his and Kallieere's scent. She opened her eyes slightly, she knew that she was in Legolas' arms immediately and pulled away, once she wasn't next to him though she could smell the difference in the air. She gasped, when she saw who was looking down at her, a tall female elf, light shone from her; her cold eyes never changed. She immediately knew that this was the Lady Galadriel, she shrunk into Legolas' arm her blue eyes wide now in horror.  
  
"Why?" She finally managed to ask pushing away from the tall blond elf.  
  
"Because I didn't have a choice. I'm sorry." Legolas moving towards her, unsure of why she was reacting like this.  
  
"Leave me alone." Fainu hissed, "You are no better than my father." She moved to run away but drawn arrows trained on her face met her.  
  
"The Lady has an agreement with Legolas and it will be fulfilled."  
  
Fainu turned and glared at both elves. "I should have left you in dark of the tunnel. Fainu hissed. She looked ready to go for Legolas' throat.  
  
"I'm sorry but it I thought you were going to die and I did not have the time to take you to Rivendell." Legolas barked back.  
  
"I would rather have died." Fainu snarled.  
  
"You aren't going to die, stupid girl." Galadriel said looking down at the dark elf.  
  
"And why should I trust you? I can smell better than any elf, dark or pale do not try to tell me that you don't kill my kind." Fainu snarled, the lingering scent of dark elf blood wafted through the air burning her senses.  
  
"I will not deny that I have killed your kind but I have made a deal that you will live." Galadriel had not realized that Fainu could smell that good. Legolas looked from Fainu to Galadriel; he had never seen this side of the Lady of the Woods.  
  
"Of course. Most likely barely alive, unable to even move, don't think I don't know what happens when a dark elf uses most of their magic." Fainu glanced back over her shoulder at the two guards, their arrows trained on her.  
  
"I already told you that I would not kill you." Galadriel was beginning to run out of patience with this girl. "Take her to the room." The two guards came up the stairs. She struggled at first but then gave up as the guards bound her wrists tightly. Legolas watched in horror as the guards wretched her arms the wrong way, causing to elf to cry out ever so slightly. She looked back at him, hatred and malice radiated from her, he knew that he had lost the little trusted that he had only just gained.  
  
"You told me that no harm would come to her!" He turned to the Lady.  
  
"While I was gathering her magic." With that she moved down the stairs.  
  
Legolas followed wishing for a full quiver with all his might. He hadn't thought that Galadriel could be this cruel. He followed her deep into Lothlorien he had never seen this part of the woods, all around him beautiful statues carved from stone and marble set with gems and gold. But as they traveled deeper the statues gave way to dark trees. The air grew heavy around him and he did not remember feeling this closed in, in any other forest. He rounded a bend to see Galadriel standing beside an opening at the base of one of the ancient trees. She glared at him.  
  
"Keep up or you might get lost." With that she turned into dark entrance.  
  
Fainu's eyes were wide. She could see everything around herself in the dark staircase. She couldn't see the dark elves that were in the frightening prison but she could hear and smell them. Their blood and rotting flesh stung her nose and the soft murmurs in her tongue rang in her ears. Her breath began to come faster as she began to panic, she struggled against the bindings, but every time she moved her wrists they became tighter and they were beginning to dig into her wrists. She could see the angry faces of the guard s that led her down the stair.  
  
"If you don't stop struggling girl I'll make sure that you never struggle again." Fainu felt hot tears trickling down her cheeks. She had trusted Legolas and this is what he did, lead her to the most dangerous place for a dark elf then make an agreement that involved her with the Galadriel without even thinking of the consequences. The metal on her wrists bit into her skins, she could smell her blood as it began to escape the scraped and bruised wrists. As they continued down the stairs the smells of pain and death burnt her nose worse and worse, and the tunnel started to spiral downward, no longer going down on a gentle slope but a steep pitch. She felt as if the smells and sounds that were coming from below were going to crush her.  
  
Legolas kept close to Galadriel, she was the only thing that he could see in the darkness, he could hear faint murmurs from somewhere far below him and there was an overwhelming smell in the air. He thought about what Fainu was going through, she could smell better than him and hear better than him and he was already guessing that the captives that were still alive were all Dark elves. If he had of thought that this was how Galadriel was going to treat the smaller elf he would have tried to get to Rivendell, he understood fully why Fainu had reacted as she had. He sped up his steps a bit more as Galadriel rounded the first stair in second set of stairs.  
  
Fainu shut her eyes as she was shoved into a bright room, each of the torches gave of a light that was much like the sun at noon and it hurt her eyes to be in that much light. She was lead blindly down a hall to a dark door, a horrible smell came from behind it and Fainu thought she was going to throw up. She didn't even realize that this was where they were putting her until she was locked in the darkness. He eyes went wide as her eyes focused in the rotting corpse bound by chains like hers; the dark elf's skin was grey and eaten by bugs that crawled on the floor.  
  
"Let me out!" Fainu shrieked slamming against the door her terror now over coming her training as a hunter. She would rather of being taken by orcs or the new Dark Lord that was rebuilding Mordor.  
  
"Be still you stupid dark elf or perhaps the Lady will not let you out." The guard snorted through the door. Fainu looked at the small crack of light that came under the door making it extremely easy for her to see the holes in the dead elf's skin. Maggots crawled from the gaping wounds and an odor came from the elf that was worse than even the dead marshes and all of the orcs that she had slain over the last 500 years put together. She could see the bugs crawling around in the tangled dirt hair and others came from the slightly open mouth. Fainu finally bent over as her stomach muscles contracted sharply. Once her stomach was empty she sank to her knees against the door praying that the Vala would take her to their halls.  
  
Legolas could see a bright light at the end of the twisting stairs, he could see each of the steps clearly now but he didn't dare race ahead of Galadriel. When they finally arrived in the room he was mortified by the stench and the sobs coming from behind one of the locked doors.  
  
"Fainu." He ran to the door, His hand brushed over the lock, it burnt to touch. The guard looked at Legolas and smirked.  
  
"I don't suggest trying to open the lock only Lady Galadriel or Lord Celeborn can do so."  
  
Legolas looked at Galadriel but she was at the far end of the room. "Please Lady Galadriel; let her out from that cell.  
  
"I can not do that." With that she stepped towards the Sindarin elf and waited for him to move so that she could cast the spell that would gather the magic from the girl.  
  
Legolas moved out of the way and watched as the Lady cast the spell.  
  
Fainu saw a blue mist come into the room filling it., she stood and pounded on the door, crying out to be set free. When there was no answer she turned back to the gloom of her cell, her eyes felt heavy but before the shut and she collapse she say the maggots wreathing in pain as their magic was drawn from them. Just before she went under the spells power she smirked. She would finally be reunited with Kallieere.  
  
*-Come back dark spirit, the starlight returns your spirit. 


	5. The First of the Thirteen

Chapter 5  
  
Disclaimer U know the drill. Oh yes and if I failed to mention this before.. Fainu, Felwin and the Dark elves of Mordor are MINE! Don't touch them with out my permission...  
  
~*~*~*~ == opening and closing to dream sequence  
  
Italics == telepathic communications  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Legolas waited in the room for three days for Galadriel to open the locked door and let him into see Fainu. When the door was finally opened the stench of the cell hit him full blast, light flooded over Fainu who was lying on the floor and the dead body on the far side of the room. He soaked in every detail in the room; he tried to turn away from the dead maggots that were on the floor in a circle around the dead dark elf. Fainu was facing the door her hands were covered in blood and rotten wood. He bent over and gently turned over the dark elf, her fingers were ripped and torn splinters stuck deep into them, her face was twisted in horror as she laid still.  
  
"It's okay Fainu, we are going now." Legolas said softly. Legolas gently lifted Fainu up and raced up the stairs he wanted to get the elf out of this place. Galadriel knew that he had wanted to leave the day after she had gathered Fainu's magic but the spell had not fully dissipated by then. Galadriel followed slowly not worrying about where they would be, Legolas would not travel far until he was sure that Fainu would be all right. When she got to the top she found Legolas gently tracing his fingers over the dark elf's face to the side of the entrance.  
  
"She will be fine." Galadriel said calmly, looking down in disgust at the small elf.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Kallieere? Is that you?" Fainu said looking at the taller dark elf.  
  
The elf smiled softly at her and nodded his head.  
  
"So am I?" Fainu asked moving towards the semi-translucent elf.  
  
Kallieere shook his head no as he gently ran a finger under the elf that was his only love. He wiped away a tear with his thumbs and drew her against him kissing the top of her head.  
  
Fainu wrapped her arms around him, she remembered this feeling she had longed for it for over five hundred years and soon she was going to be taken away from him again.  
  
Kallieere lifted her chin, and smiled softly at her.  
  
"I love you; I will wait for you even when stars fade from existence." Kallieere whispered softly just before he kissed her softly. Fainu smiled through her tears and squeezed him in her arms before the image began to fade.  
  
"Fainu."  
  
"Fainu."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Fainu!" Legolas called gently shaking the elf.  
  
"Kallieere." Fainu whispered  
  
"Fainu. You're awake." He lifted her up and carried her to Felwin and slid her onto the tall horses back.  
  
"Leave quickly Legolas or I may change my mind in what I will do with her." Galadriel said glaring at the prince of Mirkwood. He jumped up and wrapped an arm around the limp elf before he softly spoke to Felwin and trotted through the forest with two of the guards close on his trail. More followed further behind with weapons drawn and ready to be used.  
  
Legolas glanced back over his shoulder at the edge of Lothlorien; the small group that had followed him closely out of the woods had stopped and watched him leaving. He knew that it would be a long journey home with Fainu unable to do anything so he would have to take care of her. He looked towards Mirkwood the edges of it far off in his vision, "Soon you'll be safe."  
  
Legolas pulled up Felwin and slid off his back before gently taking Fainu off and laying her down on the ground. He knew that upon her awakening she wouldn't trust him. He'd betrayed her, and it had almost killed her, he took off the mantle that he had put on earlier and covered her with it. Before eating a small amount of lembas and sipped some of the water from his canteen, he had been hoping that she would have woken up that day but she still had not and it had been two days since they had left Lothlorien. He sat don beside her and stared up at the stars and sang softly. He missed the shores of Valinor, he and his father along with many others had returned when the new Dark Lord began to form. Very little was known about him, except that he fashioned himself as Lord Devorque and claimed to be the son of Morgoth.  
  
Fainu sat in the darkness alone she had never felt like this before. She felt like she couldn't move, couldn't speak. At times she thought she was dead or about to die but Kallieere had told her she wasn't going to die yet or he would have stayed with her. She turned her head slightly, she thought she had heard singing but it faded. She wanted to scream in frustration but she couldn't even do that, she resigned herself to shutting her eyes and thinking about Kallieere and trying o forget the betrayal she had felt from Legolas.  
  
Legolas laid down finally to rest for a few hours before journeying again, but when he tried to rest his mind he just felt an overwhelming shame from taking Fainu to Galadriel and making a deal with her. H wanted nothing more than to be able to take back what he had done, Felwin whinnied in terror and he was awake immediately. Orcs and goblins surrounding him and Fainu, Felwin bucked and struck out ant the orcs that reached for him. Legolas could see that there were many but he couldn't see well enough to know. He pleaded silently or Fainu to wake up and tell him, here eye sight by far exceeded his when it came to darkness. Before he had a chance to do any more than stand up he was attacked, he barely dodged it before he pulled out his swords. He cut any orc or goblin that drew near enough but he didn't dare go chasing after the few that escaped with only minor cuts. He knew that there was no way he would win if he had to continue to fight for the rest of the night, he had counted ten in the dark but he had already slayed five but there was no way that he would still be fending off attacks from the goblins and orcs if he had already cut their number by half. Blood covered him and his knives as he cut a sixth orc, he glanced back to see a goblin lifting Fainu. He swung his sword cutting the goblin dirty throat. Its large eyes went wide as its blood sprayed out, the dark fluid splashed across Fainu's face as the wretched creature collapsed.  
  
The pungent smell of blood filled the air around her; she could taste it in her mouth, burning itself into her mind. She tried to spit it out but it was too late she had tasted to blood of a goblin.  
  
Legolas grit his teeth as he cut through the orcs and goblins kept coming, he was grateful for his elven endurance or he would have been slain long ago. He spun at a sound that came from Fainu.  
  
Fainu opened her eyes slowly, the smell of blood hung heavily in the air, slowly she looked down at the weight on her stomach, the wide eyes of a goblin stared back at her, she shoved it off of her and looked around. There were many dead orcs and goblins around her, and she could see many more in the distance that were still coming, she stood slowly, her eyes came upon Legolas. Then at the blood that covered him and his swords. As much as she wanted him to suffer she wouldn't allow it to be done by orcs or goblins. She pulled out the two knives that she still had from her home.  
  
Legolas could tell that she hated him more than anything, her eyes fixed on him and then at the twisted creatures behind him. She snarled and began to fight, the orcs and goblins backed away slightly, staying well clear from the precise strokes of the two elves dealt. He didn't know where she had gotten her energy, or why she had woken up when she had but right now he didn't care.  
  
"How many of them can you see?" Legolas asked as he cut another goblin across the stomach.  
  
"More than you could handle, I don't want to be left with your scrap body parts to take my rage out on." She snarled the daggers cutting through bone and flesh alike, spraying blood everywhere.  
  
"I don't blame you." Legolas said, not sure why he kept fighting if he was going to be mutilated by the girl.  
  
"You are mine."  
  
"Did you say that?" Fainu snarled, as she literally sliced the orcs face open  
  
"Say what? I just said that I didn't blame you for what you wanted." Legolas said spun sideways cutting the orc that had been coming in from the side spraying both elves with blood before it fell.  
  
"You are mine; you have tasted the blood of my minions."  
  
"Who is saying that?" Fainu shouted as she kicked another goblin flailing its ribs. Sending it cowering away to die slowly from the severe wound.  
  
"Saying what?" Legolas said paused for only the slightest of instances but he knew that it was a mistake. One of the jagged blades came close to cutting him.  
  
"They are claiming me." Fainu snarled as she struggled to block to attacks that came from opposite directions.  
  
"Claiming you?" Legolas didn't understand but he didn't understand how she had gotten her energy either, before she had been almost lifeless and slowly she was gaining more and more energy rather than losing any.  
  
"Y-," Fainu started as she cut another of the orcs attacking her, its blood sprayed her face.  
  
"Drink it. It is you, you are my first."  
  
Fainu's eyes went wide as pain seared through her body. She put away a knife and stood still, the orcs and goblins backed away from them. Legolas turned and looked at her, she turned and looked at him. Her breaths coming in short gasps, the pain was evident on her face. Legolas watched in horror as the other dagger clattered to the ground as she sank to her knees. "Get out of my head!" She screamed, Legolas wanted to back away from her but he didn't want to leave her alone if the orcs and goblins were to try and get her.  
  
"You are mine, drink it. You are one of my thirteen." Fainu felt her arm move against her will it ran her fingers through the orcs blood that covered her and put the blood covered fingers on her lips. She knew somewhere in the back of her mind she knew what the thirteen were, she didn't understand fully the story behind them but they were dangerous and she was the first. The taste of the blood filled her entire being burning her the way the blood she had tasted when she was still unable to do anything from what Galadriel had taken her magic.  
  
"Fainu! Don't!" Legolas knew that whatever was going to happen with Fainu it was extremely dangerous.  
  
"I can't. I'm not in control anymore. I don't know when I lost it!" Fainu cried out struggling with new thoughts that swirled in her mind.  
  
"Fainu." Legolas glanced around him, the sounds of the orcs were around before had disappeared. He bent down and wrapped an arm around her and lifted her up. "We are going now; I'll get you home and try to find out what is happening."  
  
Fainu nodded and stood slowly allowing Legolas to lead her, to Felwin who snorted at Fainu and tried to bite her past the Sindarin elf.  
  
Legolas spoke sharply to the horse, but still the horse would not hold still for Fainu to get on his back. Legolas glanced back at the dark elf; she lowered her eyes. He could tell that she was unsure now; he pulled himself up on the horse and reached down for the dark elf but Felwin shied away. Fainu smiled sadly.  
  
"It's alright. I can walk well enough on my own." Fainu waited for Legolas to lead the way.  
  
"I'm sorry." With that the let Felwin walk way from Fainu, she went back to the place where they had defended themselves and picked up the dagger she had dropped and jogged to catch up to the elven prince.  
  
"How long is it going to take to get to Mirkwood?" Fainu asked walking beside Legolas. Legolas looked down at her and grabbed her by the upper arm and pulled her up onto Felwin.  
  
Felwin crow-hopped and bucked trying to get the dark elf off of his back, he spun and tried to bite Fainu. The dark elf pushed back into Legolas barely escaping the teeth that were aimed for her.  
  
"Felwin!" Legolas struggled to keep the both of them on the horse.  
  
"Let me go!" Fainu cried. Legolas shocked by what she said complied. The dark elf slid of the horses back onto her feet only to have Felwin try to step on her. She cried out and raced into the grass away from the horse.  
  
"Where are you?" Legolas asked as he scanned the area around him.  
  
"I'm fine. Just leave me alone. I'll stay out of Felwins sight and follow you until I figure out why I can suddenly hear voices in my head.  
  
Legolas nodded and let Felwin walk towards Mirkwood. "So when do you plan on taking your rage out on me."  
  
"When I find out why I am being claimed as one of the thirteen." Fainu said calmly from a fair ways behind him.  
  
"One of the thirteen? Do you know what they are?" He hated not being able to see the dark elf but he couldn't trust Felwin to behave.  
  
"Kind of. If I were able to go back to the Dark elves archives I would probably be able to find out everything." Fainu said calmly. "The thirteen are some sort of powerful commanders."  
  
"Commanders? For who?" Legolas looked back over his shoulder.  
  
"I think for the Dark Lord." Fainu whispered softly. She looked at the blood cover in then stopped she realized what she had just said; she sank down and sat in shock.  
  
Legolas pulled up Felwin and looked over his shoulder, Fainu had disappeared, if what she said was true she would become hunted by every free race in middle earth.  
  
"The Dark Lord." Fainu whispered.  
  
"I am waiting for you my first."  
  
"No." Fainu gasped in terror  
  
"Come to me. Come to your destiny."  
  
"No." Fainu felt tears sliding down her face as vision flashed before her eyes, memories that she had long forgotten or had been forced to forget. She saw her supposed father, the elf that had raised her, taking her from a sealed room. Magic flew from the open doorway; it had preserved her as a child ceasing her aging. He took her to live with him as his child, as his child? She wasn't his child? She wasn't a dark elf?  
  
"Calm yourself my first. You are mine, a creation greater than any even my father could make."  
  
Fainu saw more and more that she had long forgotten, she didn't remember the dark room where she had been kept during her young years. Now she knew why her 'father' had not cared about her death. She was not his and she never would be she was considered an outsider. The only one that had seen past the fact her father was Morgoths son had been Kallieere, he had known. He had always known what she was, he hadn't cared. Distantly she heard hoof beats and then the movement of grass as some one quietly walked through it towards her.  
  
"Fainu?" Legolas looked down at her, she was staring back at him but her eyes held a far off sense. He bent down and pulled her to her feet, tears trickled down her face silently. "Wake up Fainu."  
  
Fainu started and pushed away from him, her eyes wide with a fear of something only she knew.  
  
"What's wrong Fainu?" Legolas knew that the dark elf didn't trust him but this was beyond anything he'd seen her do.  
  
"Stay away from me Legolas. You do not know me." With that she turned and ran her instincts leading her back the way they had come from; she was heading back to Mordor.  
  
"Fainu! Don't! Don't go to the Dark Lord I know that it's not what you want!" Legolas chase for a short distance but knew that the only thing that he could do to stop her was to bring her down with arrows and he didn't have those.  
  
Fainu stopped a far distance from where Legolas had stopped chasing her. She sat down; she didn't understand anything any more. She wanted to ask her father why he'd hidden her past from her; she wanted to ask Kallieere how he could love her. She was a monster, she should have stayed with Legolas and let him cut her throat, the horror would have been over then. She curled up on the ground and sobbed quietly finally allowing herself to sleep. She no longer cared if the orcs came and killed her, she had lost any fear of death she longed for it, she needed it, and death was the only solution in her mind.  
  
Legolas walked after the elf he could tell that she had stopped, his ears couldn't hear the grass moving any more and there was the sound of soft sobs. He traveled through the night following the few clues that she had left behind. When he found her she was curled up in a small ball sobbing in her sleep. He bent near her and pulled his mantle off and covered her with it, he moved over to where Felwin was standing and sat down. He watched over her the entire night. He knew that she didn't trust him, but he didn't understand why she had run from him, he sadly watched the stars fading into a rainbow of colors with the sunrise. Fainu didn't wake with the sun, but her sobbing had stopped, which made him worry all the more, he had never seen an elf cry except when they were mourning and were so sorrowful that they died.  
  
He moved back over to her, and pushed her onto her back; Fainu opened an eye and looked at him. Her eye was red from crying but even that didn't cover the loss of life in it. "Fainu are you al-"  
  
"So Legolas are you going to end the fourth war before it begins?" She asked her voice barely above a whisper.  
  
Legolas pulled away from her, he didn't believe what he had just heard. "End it before it begins?"  
  
Fainu sat up slowly handing him back his mantle as she nodded. "I already know what the voice means, and who it is. Please Legolas, I would be happier dead." With that she pulled her long dark hair back, and handed him one of the blades that she had taken from the target.  
  
Legolas watched her, she sat waiting on the ground, her face was red and her eyes swollen from crying. He looked at the blade in his hand, it was still sharp and if he did cut her it would be clean and almost painless. He shut his eyes and weighed his options.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Author babble:  
  
Red Demon: Look! I made Frodo perfect! (The ring bearer walks out from behind a wall, his feet shaved)  
  
Kara J: Ohh.Hairless. Aren't they a bit white though?  
  
Red Demon: Yeah a bit but we'll send him out side with 50-sunblock on everywhere else and let them get good and colored.  
  
Legolas: (Looks at the hobbit and laughs) and I thought it was bad when you had my hair in mini braids with ribbons.  
  
Red Demon: No this is serious. I did that because I was bored. By the way do you still have those ribbons? Gimli and Aragorn finally got back from Mordor.  
  
Legolas: Why? What are you going to do?  
  
Kara J: (Giggles) don't worry Leggy. You know that Red Demon would never do anything-permanent.  
  
Legolas: Oh God. What are you going to do to me now?  
  
Red Demon: You? Who said the ribbons were going to be used on you this time? 


	6. The dream

Chapter 6  
  
Disclaimer: U know the drill, and I'm too lazy to repeat everything again.  
  
~*~*~*~ == beginning/ end of dream  
  
Author babble:  
  
Red Demon: Legolas do you have the ribbons?  
  
Kara J and Legolas: (Nod vigorously)  
  
Red Demon: Good here they come. Legolas you distract Aragorn until we get Gimli tied up and then we'll grab him too.  
  
Legolas: Got it.  
  
Kara J: Now!!!  
  
Aragorn and Gimli: Ahhhh! (Legolas is fighting with Aragorn while Red demon and Kara J tie up Gimli)  
  
Red Demon: Your turn scruffy. (Grabs Aragorns hands and ties them together behind his back)  
  
Aragorn: Scruffy?!?  
  
Red Demon: You'd better believe it.  
  
Legolas: (Nods) definitely time for a hair wash.  
  
Kara J: And a shave. Red Demon? Do you still have the razor you used on Frodo?  
  
Red Demon: Give me a moment. (Rummages through huge bag filled with stuff to be used on the two captives. Pulls out Mach 3 razor) Yup.  
  
Aragorn: How did they change you Legolas? What made you betray us?  
  
Legolas: They said that they would take me with them when they go out every once in a while to the archery range that is opening near Red Demons home.  
  
Gimli: Never trust an elf.  
  
Red Demon: Always trust an elf, never trust an author.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Legolas opened his eyes and moved towards her slowly. His blue eyes watched every muscle in her body tense as he neared her, the knife still in hand.  
  
"I will not kill you. I did you wrong once, I will not do it again." With that he grabbed her arms and put the blade back where she had pulled it from. Fainu trembled as he moved her hair back to where it had been as well. His eyes locked on hers, confusion slowly passing across her face. "Are you well enough to walk?"  
  
"It is not my legs that are wounded Legolas." Fainu said softly. Legolas smiled and stood before helping her to her feet.  
  
"Shall we try Felwin?" Legolas said motioning to the horse that stood grazing a short distance away.  
  
"I have not the energy to avoid him if he were to do as he did last night." Fainu said neutrally. Legolas nodded and called the tall horse. He whispered soft words and the horse sped off.  
  
"We will walk then." Legolas smiled knowing that if the dark elf had being as broken hearted as she had been she would have had to been carried as it was he wrapped an arm around her waist.  
  
Fainu lowered her gaze, she felt guilty for the cruel words she had said to him in Lothlorien. "Perhaps it is a good thing I did not leave you in the dark tunnel."  
  
Legolas looked at her and inwardly smirked, assuming that this was how she was apologizing.  
  
"Perhaps it is." They traveled through the tall grass slowly, neither in a hurry to get to Mirkwood. Legolas would reposition his hand every once in a while, he was sure that the dark elf was getting thinner, his hand covered a large area of her side. "Do you want to stop to eat soon?"  
  
"Yes that would be nice." Fainu felt strange in Legolas' arms. She hadn't allowed any person to hold her like this, with the exception of when she let Legolas hold her when they had been riding but that had been out of necessity, this wasn't.  
  
Soon the two elves were sitting on the ground. Fainu nibbled on the lembas that Legolas had given her silently, she still wasn't sure why Legolas had spared her from death when she had given him the chance to kill her. She didn't know anything any more, she had known more when she was still a child, and now she was close to 600 years old. She let out a short laugh.  
  
"What?" Legolas asked looking at the dark elf closely.  
  
"Oh to be a child again." She said ruefully. "I knew more things with certainty then I do now."  
  
Legolas nodded, she still doubted herself, and she still wanted the death that he had refused to give her. "You will eventually know as much or more with the same certainty you had then."  
  
"Thank you Legolas, though I do doubt your words they are kind." With that she finished of the lembas and stood up slowly. Legolas was up quickly and by her side, he wrapped an arm around her carefully and they continued on their journey to his home.  
  
Legolas was happy that Fainu seemed to have forgiven him for what he had done, yet he was worried about her. She was acting like she was drugged; she followed his suggestions willingly without any question.  
  
"Why are you acting like this Fainu? You seem to have lost a part of your soul." Legolas asked finally. The dark elf kept her eyes diverted from the soft look of the Mirkwood prince.  
  
"I have never been treated like this by anybody since."  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry. Would you like me to stop holding you up?" Legolas asked.  
  
"No. You're the only other person that doesn't seem to care about what I am. If it weren't for the fact that I know you were already born long before.Kallieere. I would have thought you were a reincarnation of him." Fainu turned her head away from him.  
  
Legolas nodded, "Did he treat you good?" Legolas asked deciding that even though Kallieere was a touchy subject it was the safest at the moment.  
  
"Yes. He treated me much like you did on the night I saw the stars fir the first time with you." She whispered, "And he treated me even better when I was doing things like I did this morning."  
  
"That's good. I'm glad he took care of you." Legolas looked at her closely he could tell that she was extremely uncomfortable.  
  
"How can you be glad that he took care of me? I will probably end up your enemy and one of us is most likely going to die." Fainu looked up at him their eyes met and held each other.  
  
"I don't know how. I just am, perhaps we won't end up enemies." Legolas said softly.  
  
The two elves walked calmly through the day passing the place where Felwin had thrown Fainu, the edge of Mirkwood slowly getting closer in their vision. They stopped that night soon after the sun had set. Legolas pulled out his canteen and took a sip then offered it to Fainu, but the dark elf was already fast asleep. She was curled up again, but this time she didn't weep. He closed the small water canteen and laid down and fell asleep. Even though there was the chance of an orc attack from the few that were left in the forest, he trusted that Fainu would wake this time if she smelt or heard anything.  
  
Legolas jerked awake to a sharp kick, he looked over at Fainu she was thrashing wildly in her sleep. He watched her intently, her dark hair was matted to her head with sweat, and she made muffled noises as if somebody was holding her mouth shut. She bit down on her lip, blood slowly dripped down her face as she continued to struggle against the attacker in her dream. He moved over to her and gently took a hold of one of her hand, immediately she was squeezing it. He grimaced at the shear amount of force she was using, finally he managed to put a hand on her forehead and spoke softly, trying to sooth her out of the dream.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Fainu stared at the gaping hole in the side of cliff that had once been the tiny opening of her home. She could hear screams coming from in the chambers; she could smell blood from both dark elves and the orcs that were attacking. More orcs swarmed past her into the hole, each carrying a torch and jagged swords. The passed by her as if she didn't exist, she walked into the hole her eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness. She carefully stepped over the dead orc bodies, piled high at the very entrance, she wasn't bothered by this sight, she had killed as many orcs in the same fashion but they had never been this close to her home. Beyond the dead orcs though she found the body of Itheal, his stomach was torn open and his intestines were tied about his feet and wrists; effectively binding him. He stared up at her trembling, his blood making his tunic stick to his muscled chest, she knelt down beside him and gently ran a finger under his chin wiping the blood that trickled down. He glared at her.  
  
"Sialya anwave i yelde mal i morne taar Devorque.( Now you're truly the daughter of the Dark Lord Devorque)" The elf snarled and spat at her, Fainu jerked away from him, her eyes wide with horror.  
  
"A-anvanta nillo (Forgive me.)" She stammered, she knew that what he said was true, but she didn't want it to be. She moved back to him and gently began to untied Itheals feet.  
  
"Ce-nillo.( Away from me.)" He hissed, glaring at the outcast. Fainu backed away slowly knowing that Itheal would rather die than have her help, he had been a hunter with him and that would never change. She would have watched him but there were others she worried about more.  
  
"Nurefwina, yeera ilya varna.( Nurefwina, be alright.)" She raced down the stairs, past the glares and the names that she was called from the wounded dark elves that leaned against the walls of the tunnel. She no longer cared about anything she wanted to find Nurefwina and make sure she was alright. She burst through the opening of the tunnel only to be grabbed from both sides, she immediately knew that it was elves that held her and she was calm for an instant.  
  
"So Fainu you have finally returned to your home, except it is to seek revenge." She was being dragged roughly down the long walkways to the chamber that had been her father's chamber. All around her there were piles of orcs burning and wounded elves were being healed.  
  
"Itheal is close to the opening of the tunnel. Someone has to help him, I could not." She whispered softly.  
  
"And why should we believe you? All you are is a deceitful snake. If I had it my way you would already be tied up and I'd throw you into one of those fires to burn alive." She felt strong hands pull back on her head, twisting it painfully but she was no longer feeling the pain she was distant as if she were watching it happen from afar. She watched the black smoke drift up past her; the smell of burning flesh filled her nose. She looked down at her feet and she was walking along bloody boards, she could tell that it was not elf blood from the scent and she was grateful for that.  
  
"What is going on in that twisted mind of yours devil? Are you planning ways of killing us all?" The elf that held her other arm snarled leaning close to her, she could feel his breath on her ear and she shut her eyes, not wanting to see or hear anymore.  
  
"No. I do not wish to destroy you." She whispered, a thousand thoughts ran through her mind. She had come back to help them, they were accusing her of wanting to destroy them all. A hard stroke hit her on the back of her knees and she fell, she opened her eyes, She knew where she was, the familiar floor no longer gave her comfort.  
  
"Look up beast." He father hissed, Fainu could not bring herself to do it though. She suddenly felt her head being lifted by small gentle hands.  
  
"Nurefwina, get away from her she is dangerous." Her father said harshly. Fainu looked into the eyes of the small elf. She smiled, tears coming to her eyes.  
  
"Your safe, you're all right." Fainu tried to hug the elf.  
  
"I'm not safe." Nurefwina said sharply before taking one of her soft delicate hands and harshly rubbed away the tears from Fainu's eyes. The older dark elf watched her niece in confusion; the small elf drew her hand back and smacked the captive elf hard. Fainu's head turned sharply, her face throbbed. "I hate you, and I want you to die, uluk uuvanimo.( evil monster )"  
  
Fainu hung her head; she knew that she was going to be killed slowly. She felt her body being lifted up and dragged to the same cell that had once held Legolas. She was held before it while harsh bindings were closed around her wrists before she was shoved into the cell. Fainu knelt on the floor slowly, the rock below her was wet, and she had no conception of time. She could have been in the cell a day or two; she did not know, all she knew that outside the cell screams of angry elves sounded. They were mad because she was still alive, they all wanted her to be tortured and mutilated. She waited silently in the dark; she felt nothing anymore, she just wanted to die.  
  
Light flooded the dark cell, Fainu waited until she was on her feet and out of the cell. She felt stones hitting her as she was led to the platform that would take her to the middle of the lake. She remained still until they were near the center of the lake, the older elves looked at her harshly, and she didn't meet their gaze as they untied her hands and pushed her onto the table. She snapped her head up suddenly and kicked one of the elves; he stumbled backward into the water. The other elves acted quickly grabbing a limb each. Fainu cried out and struggled against them, one covered her mouth, forcing her to bite her lip as the others tied her down. She twisted her wrists against the elven rope, it hurt her terribly but she was almost free.  
  
"Why do you struggle so commander? Don't you wish to be with your legions?" The dark elf that had raised her asked placing a knife on her stomach. Fainu steeled herself for what she knew would come, all around her she could hear joyous cries. Suddenly Nurefwina was on the table beside her, glaring at her, her cold blue eyes boring into her own.  
  
"Aa ni? (May I?)" She asked softly. The ruler of the dark elves smiled softly at the younger elf and handed her the knife. Fainu grit her teeth waiting for the beginning of the end.  
  
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion to her, she could see the blade reflecting the dark smoke above them just before it swooped down slitting her stomach open.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Fainu jerked upwards, her hands immediately going to her stomach. Legolas cried out in shock as he was pulled forwards, he managed to not land on the dark elf but was almost straddling her in the process.  
  
"Are you all right?" He whispered softly as he moved to her side. Even in the dark he could see that her eyes were wide in terror, as if she wasn't fully out of the dream yet. She shook her head slightly and looked at him.  
  
"Legolas?" She asked confused. "But-."  
  
"It was a dream Fainu, just a dream." He whispered softly. "Perhaps we should travel for a while before you rest again?"  
  
Fainu looked up at the sky as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Yes." She finally whispered back standing up. Legolas picked up his mantle and threw it around her shoulders as they walked towards Mirkwood Forest again.  
  
Legolas looked down at her carefully, her eyes shone in the moonlight as she walked slowly beside him. He did not try to support her, she had a far off look in her eyes, as if she where haunted by her dream. She reminded him of Arwen, she held the same dark beauty but was far more wild. He shook his head, he would not think of her as a possible mate. It would not happen, neither she nor his father would allow it, so at most she would a friend.  
  
"Legolas, what is your home like?" Fainu asked looking at him.  
  
"I think it's beautiful but many others don't, and most have not seen it. Mirkwood forest was extremely dangerous before the War of the Ring and afterwards it was just about as bad." Legolas said softly as he glanced over at her. She nodded at what he said, glancing at the horizon towards Mirkwood.  
  
"What made it so dangerous?" She asked softly, "It is a far distance from Mordor."  
  
"That does not matter. Before the first war with Sauron there were orcs in Mirkwood, we've been killing them for many centuries." Legolas said softly.  
  
"Orcs." Fainu repeated softly.  
  
"Yes, so I am grateful you know how to defend yourself because when we get in Mirkwood your fighting skills may be needed." Legolas said softly, he was amazed at the distance they had traveled. If they kept walking they should get to Mirkwood in by noon of the next day.  
  
"I don't know how well I will be able to do. I only have throwing daggers, they will be getting dull soon even if they are sharp now." Fainu said softly, she puled out one of the daggers, its blade had gouges in it from the metal in the armor of orcs.  
  
Legolas could see it as well. "The dagger you gave me, it wasn't nearly as bad as that."  
  
"No it was the one I used the least of the two, it is dull compared to what they were before the fight with the orcs and goblins." Fainu pulled out the other and looked at it closely, her eyes rested on a small crack near the base of it. "This one will be first to go though if the orcs in Mirkwood wear any metal in their armor."  
  
"Why?" Legolas looked closely at the smaller elf.  
  
"The edges are sharp but it was damaged near the hilt. If it hits anything hard the blade will break off." Fainu said calmly. "Every cut I make will have to be done on soft tissue."  
  
Legolas nodded and kept walking, he trusted that she would be able to make those cuts when she needed to.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- 


	7. A Dangerous Greeting

Chapter 7  
  
Disclaimer: Why must we put these disclaimers up? Everybody KNOWS we don't own the stories, and we don't hold the copy writes or it wouldn't be called FAN fiction. Okay I'm done now.  
  
Author babble:  
  
Legolas: Wow.  
  
Red Demon: Now we know WHY he grew the stubble.  
  
Kara J: He has a hole in his chin!  
  
All (except Aragorn): (Smack themselves on the forehead.)  
  
Red Demon: It's a cleft. NOT A HOLE!  
  
Aragorn: (Looking indignant) And I can't help I was born with it.  
  
Kara J: So?  
  
Gimli: At least you don't have pink yellow and baby blue ribbons in your beard.  
  
Legolas: May I point out that Aragorn doesn't have a beard, or stubble for that matter anymore?  
  
Gimli: Do you think I care? I'm a dwarf!  
  
Red Demon: Gimli. Don't make me kill you.  
  
Gimli: (Shuts mouth with an indignant huff)  
  
Red Demon: Good boy. (Pats dwarf on head)  
  
Legolas: Can I get a picture of this?  
  
Kara J: Sure. (Whips out digital camera takes pictures of the now pretty beard and clean-shaven ranger.)  
  
Red Demon: You know Legolas it's a good thing I figured out an ingenious use for writers block.  
  
Legolas: Why?  
  
Kara J: Because when we let them go they will try to destroy all evidence. Which will include you.  
  
Legolas: OH.Let's continue the story.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Fainu and Legolas walked well into the next day before they stopped for the briefest of moments. Fainu took the mantle off, she had no need for it during the noon sun, and she lay down under the tall grasses.  
  
"Why are you stopping now?" Legolas asked crouching down beside her, her eyes were distant though and her eyelids drooped. He sat beside her as she slipped into a light sleep. Legolas waited calmly beside her, she remained still the entire time that she slept.  
  
He didn't dare wake her because of how long it took for her to finally fall asleep. The sun began to lower in the sky before she stirred, Fainu opened her eyes slowly and looked up at the tall blond elf, and the sun glinted off of his hair and shone through his ears. She laughed softly at the sight.  
  
"What's so funny?" Legolas frowned down at her.  
  
"Your ears." Fainu said finally.  
  
"You have the same type of ears as I do so I wouldn't be laughing." He frowned leaning close to her.  
  
"No I don't. Mine don't glow pink in the sun." She said propping herself up on her elbows.  
  
Legolas touched his own ears gently before he scowled and grabbed her by her shirt and pulled her up so that his face was an inch from hers. Fainu's eyes went wide as he snarled at her. He smiled suddenly, moving away from her so that he could see her ears.  
  
"Your ears are glowing too." With that he stood up. He offered her a hand up; Fainu smiled slightly and took the hand up. Legolas could tell that she would have been somebody that he could have loved for eternity if she had of been from any other of the elven realms, as it was he still loved her but it wasn't allowed. He shook his head, thankfully she didn't seem to return his feelings or it would be all the harder for him.  
  
"Are you all right Legolas?" Fainu asked looking at the blond prince, she could smell something from him every once in a while. It was strange; she had smelt it only once before and even then she didn't know what it was.  
  
"Yes I'm fine. Why?" Legolas frowned as they continued towards Mirkwood.  
  
"Because every so often you act funny, that's all." Fainu said softly.  
  
"It's nothing don't worry about it." Legolas didn't know how she sensed what he felt but somehow she was managing to pin his every single emotion.  
  
Fainu watched him for a moment she could tell that he was feeling trapped suddenly but nodded anyways. She didn't know whether or not to trust him, he had already had delivered her to Galadriel. She walked in silence beside him; she hated not being able to do anything to make sure that he wasn't hiding something that could kill her. She looked at the prince again just as she caught a whiff of something that she did know, and she pulled out her daggers.  
  
"Do you smell something?" Legolas asked looking at her carefully; she was concentrating hard on the damaged blades for an instant.  
  
"Yes." Fainu said softly, they were roughly over five leagues from Mirkwood, she turned and scanned the vast field of grass behind them, her sharp eyes could see nothing but she had smelt it. Just as she was about to turn back the wind shifted again so that it blew directly into her face, her blue eyes went wide. And she took a couple steps back.  
  
"What is it?" Legolas asked as he turned around and pulled out his long knives.  
  
"Orcs. And they come in a number that we are no match for." Fainu put her daggers away quickly before she turned and ran.  
  
Legolas followed suit, the two elves raced through the grass to the forest, he knew that even once they reached the forest they wouldn't be safe from the orcs until they were well into the deep forest. Behind him he could hear the shouts of the orcs as they gave chase, he glanced over to see a mass of orcs of such size that he had not seen since the last war. The ground between them and the forest was rapidly decreasing as they held their swift pace but the orcs behind them closed the space. Fainu glanced back over her shoulder to see that they weren't going to make it if they didn't speed up. Both elves found an even faster speed and were able to keep the distance between them and the mass from decreasing anymore. Legolas wished for a quiver of arrows and Fainu for her knives so that they could better defend themselves if the orcs were able to out run them.  
  
"How far into the forest are we going to have to get before we run into more elves?" Fainu shouted as they ran side by side.  
  
"Deep enough that you will need to follow me." He answered. "Besides we still have enough leagues to worry about before we get to the forest."  
  
Fainu nodded knowingly, the orcs behind them ran as if some sort of demon drove them, nipping at their heels with every step. She didn't care to find out why they were chasing them, she didn't understand it, and orcs never chased her before when she was a hunter. She hated not knowing why they acted this way now. She didn't worry about that to long though.  
  
"Get ready to jump, there's a small ravine soon!" Legolas said as they raced towards the edge of the forest.  
  
Fainu fell behind Legolas slightly, knowing that if she hit it at the same time as him she would not react fast enough and would fall into the gouged earth. She saw Legolas jump and one step later she too was air born, she was amazed at how wide the ravine was. She felt the earth crumble from underneath her foot as she landed. She dove forwards rolling back to her feet, barely escaping falling into the ravine.  
  
Legolas looked back at her and slowed his pace, the orcs would have to slide down one side and climb the other, which would give them enough time to cover a large distance. He could tell that she had been hurt when she jumped. He could see that her hands were bleeding and dirty, he waited until she had caught up with him before he said anything, the orcs were getting so loud.  
  
"What happened?" He asked as they continued their run to Mirkwood.  
  
"The ground started to give way beneath me when I landed." She said calmly, she wouldn't tell him that her hands weren't the only things that had been injured. Her hip had taken a lot of the blow and she could feel blood trickling down her leg. They were close to Mirkwood; she could smell the trees faintly now. They glanced back the first group of orcs had finally climbed out of the ravine and were chasing again. Fainu gritted her teeth and struggled to keep up with Legolas now that they were running faster again.  
  
"Hurry up Fainu." He called back, to her. He couldn't tell why she wasn't running as fast as she had been earlier unless dark elves didn't have quite the same endurance.  
  
Fainu nodded and forced herself to speed up again; she could feel the blood pouring freely from her wounded him now. The smell of her own blood filled her nose drowning out the smell of the orcs and Mirkwood Forest. Legolas smiled as she drew up to run beside him, he could smell blood but he assumed that it was coming from her hands. He could hear the warning blasts from his city's tower warning the guards of the orcs, perhaps they wouldn't have to run nearly as far as they would have. The elven prince glanced towards Fainu; her face was twisted in pain as she ran.  
  
"Are you all right?" He asked, he could see nothing wrong with her except her hand.  
  
"I'll live." She hissed as she ran, her hip throbbed, and even though Mirkwood Forest was less than a 500 meters it seemed to be many more leagues than she had already run.  
  
Legolas nodded and looked back, the orcs were gaining again but he knew that Fainu wasn't going to be able to run any faster than what she was. He kept running beside her, knowing that if the orcs did over run her she couldn't properly defend herself with her hands bleeding.  
  
They reached the forest and Legolas grabbed Fainu's wrist. It was his turn to lead her to safety, she followed him closely, but her leg began to fail. The dark elf struggled against the urge to collapse, she focused on where Legolas was leading her and put all of her energy towards making it there. Suddenly a wave of arrows flew past her, she could hear them whizzing through the air past her, and then landing in their targets.  
  
Legolas smiled he'd made it far enough that he no longer had to worry about the orcs, he reached up and caught the quiver that one of his kin had brought for him.  
  
"Mag te eithel, Curdu Legolas.(Use them well, Prince Legolas)" The archer called before pulling another arrow from his own quiver and shooting another orc. Legolas spun pushing Fainu behind the line of his kin while he turned and fired an arrow into one of the furthest orc that the bow from Galadriel would reach.  
  
Fainu sank down; unable to fight the darkness that had been beckoning her while she had been running any longer. She could still hear the battle raging around her, she could smell the blood of countless orcs, but she couldn't open her eyes and see anything. Fainu felt strong arms shaking her, telling her that she had to wake up, when she didn't move she felt more hands on her.  
  
"Her hip was wounded." A strange voice said as a hand ran over her injured hip, causing her to flinch away.  
  
"I'll take her home, away from the battle." Another said, softly as the soft hands disappeared and she was lifted up so that she was cradled in some ones arms.  
  
"Lil-hant, torn-nya.(Thanks my brother.)" Legolas said softly as he let another arrow fly.  
  
Fainu could hear the sounds fading as she was carried deep into the forest, footsteps raced up to her and took her from the elf that Legolas had entrusted her to.  
  
"Ensi haur harwe.(She is wounded)" The tenor voice said.  
  
"Ni iest, ni-uva kyar man ni aa fallan he.(I know. I will do what I may to heal her. )" The new elf that held her was just as strong but seemed to have a vaster sense of wisdom.  
  
She was set down gently on the ground; she could hear water running in the background. Fainu felt the strong hands holding her hands; a sharp pain ran through them causing her to finch.  
  
"You have been through a lot dark one." The voice said softly but the hands didn't release hers for a while. When they finally did they no longer hurt but she felt drained, again she was lifted and carried even further away from the battle. She heard soft laughter in the distance and she knew that she was near Legolas' home.  
  
"A dark elf? I thought that they were all dead." A voice called from high above her.  
  
"Apparently not all of them." Came the answer from the elf carrying her, she must have instinctively tightened her muscles because soon she was being spoken to gently in a form of elvish that she did not know. It was extremely relaxing even in this strange place, with no one that she knew.  
  
"So my son has returned?" Fainu immediately knew that this was Legolas' father that was speaking. "And where is he?"  
  
"I do not know my lord. I believe he is safe or his brother would not have sent only the elf he brought." The elf replied, bowing to the king.  
  
"So he has been seen?"  
  
"Yes my Lord." The elf said as he continued on with the smaller elf.  
  
"And the swarming orcs?" Thranduil asked looking at the elf that hung limply in the healer's arms.  
  
"They are being dealt with swiftly. Right now I have to tend to her." Fainu felt them moving again; it wasn't long before she was set down on a soft bed.  
  
Legolas turned his head after an arrow shot past him into a nearby orc, his brother smiled at him.  
  
"You should be more careful brother."  
  
"I am not the one shooting within an inch of a younger sibling, Aronon." Legolas replied as his oldest brother steps back into the line his quiver again full.  
  
"En' rant ai torn.(Of course little brother.)" Aronon chuckled.  
  
"Alya gayaquant.(You're awful.)" Legolas laughed back. There were only a few orcs left and the two brothers nodded to their kinsmen before turning to return to their home.  
  
"I know. I know." Aronon smirked, he looked at his little brother, they looked close to identical but Legolas was nearly a thousand years younger than hi and was far more serious. With the exception of when he got the younger elf going, "The elf you brought here, is she really a dark elf?"  
  
"Yes. Though I do wish that she had been awake when she was brought to our city then she would have been able to see that what I told her is true." Legolas said as the two brothers walked through dark forests.  
  
"Did you see their city?" Aronon asked his interest in his younger brothers knowledge. "Is it as horrible as in the stories or worse?"  
  
"I saw their city brother. No other elf of our kind could have though." Legolas answered. "Their city in an underground forest that can only be reached through a dark tunnel in which all vision but theirs fails."  
  
"So it is a dark awful place." Aronon said looking at the sun through the small holes in the canopy far above their heads.  
  
"No their realm is far from awful. I thought of it as a beautiful place, there were two massive chambers; one completely filled with massive trees and it was lit as if the sun itself shone in the cavern. The other was almost identical except for there was a large lake in the center. Bridges and stairs joined the ground and the floor and the railing and decorations were wrought of gold and others shimmered as if they were set with diamonds." Legolas said softly playing back the few details that he remembered on his quick journey in and out of the dark elves hidden realm.  
  
"You speak as if you missed a lot of the beauty that it held younger brother." Aronon said raising an eyebrow ever so slightly as he looked at Legolas.  
  
"I did. The elf you carried home, Fainu, she dragged me through the chambers as fast as she could." Legolas said checking over his shoulder at the heaps of dead orcs that were being piled high before they were to be burnt.  
  
"Dragged you through? And why didn't you get her to slow down so you could see everything?" Aronon snorted, at the thought of his younger brother, the famed elf from the Fellowship, being dragged around by a dark elf.  
  
"If I had of, you would not be speaking to me right now. She saved my life by doing what she did." Legolas said calmly it was going to be a long walk with Aronon questioning him.  
  
"She saved you life? That's something you never expect from those bloodthirsty elves."  
  
"Get it out of your head that they are bloodthirsty. They are much like us, we fear them as much as they fear us, and we both have to deal with orcs. I see no difference between us except that the are descendants from a race twisted by Morgoth, though they were made by the same creator that we were." Legolas frowned, he didn't know if his brother would ever understand.  
  
"All right, I will agree with you on that point, but I still don't know what to think about Fainu." Aronon said patting the younger elf on the back.  
  
"What is wrong with Fainu?" Legolas said ducking away from the second pat.  
  
"She didn't feel completely elvish. She felt like she had a hidden power stirring deep beneath the surface, not known to her." Aronon said seriously, his face losing its cheery smile.  
  
"That's because she." Legolas trailed off unsure of what Aronon would do if he found out that Fainu was possibly one of the Dark Lords most powerful minions.  
  
"She's what Legolas?" Aronon asked puzzled by the way Legolas was acting.  
  
"I'm not sure, I have a faint idea but I'm not fully sure so I shall not say." Legolas said softly as the smell of smoke and burning flesh filled the air as the fires were lit. 


	8. Nothing more than a tool?

Chapter 8  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine and most likely not yours unless your name happens to be J.R.R. Tolkien, and even then you would have a hard time convincing me.  
  
No author babble today.Kara J is gonna kill me for not having it though.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Aronon watched his younger brother leaning against the door to the balcony; the younger elf didn't even know that he was being watched he was so intent on watching Fainu. Who was still being healed slowly, her hip would be fully healed in another day, and she stirred in her sleep as a beam of sun slowly moved into her face. She murmured something softly in a strange tongue, he assumed dark elvish, before she slowly began to sit up. At first she seemed to be in a daze, blinking and rubbing her eyes before looking to Legolas.  
  
"Who else is here?" She asked softly.  
  
Legolas looked up sharply, at the door, to see Aronon push open the door.  
  
"My older brother, Aronon, the one that brought you partway here." Legolas answered moving towards the bed to help the dark elf to her feet. Aronon moved swiftly around the bed to take Fainu's other hand; she looked up at him, at his touch, her eyes slightly wide.  
  
"It's nice to see I don't have to carry you today." He said softly smiling at her, the dark elf's brow creased slightly before she smiled ever so slightly. He could see that she was heavily favoring her wounded hip, leaning against Legolas for support. A servant rushed in and stopped immediately, bowing low to the two princes before moving towards to the group. The servant eyed her over before going to the closet and pulling out a long pale blue dress. Fainu froze, her eyes going wide, her mouth parted slightly at the sight.  
  
"You aren't seriously going to make me wear that are you?" She asked looking between the two taller blond elves.  
  
"Why do you not like it?" Aronon asked shocked that she wouldn't want to get out of the dark traveling clothes.  
  
"I-I haven't worn a dress in almost five hundred years." Fainu said softly. "I don't think I'd be able to stand it very long."  
  
"That is a long time for a woman to go in pants and a shirt." Aronon said frowning slightly.  
  
"Not really considering I'm." She looked towards Legolas.  
  
"He already knows that you are a dark elf. So do most of the people here, don't worry we aren't like the Lorien elves you have our respect until you do something to make us wary." Legolas said softly. Fainu looked at him closely, so far everything he had said was true for the most part.  
  
"I am a hunter in the dark elf society. If I wore a dress while making sure orcs and goblins didn't come near the entrance to my people's city I would have died on the first trip out." She said calmly.  
  
"I see. We have a female warrior." Aronon said raising his eyebrows slightly, looking rather impressed that Legolas had not gotten himself killed by her. The servant nodded but did not put the dress away.  
  
"We don't have pants or shirts that will fit the Lady properly. Perhaps we can take some measurements and she can wear a dress for a short while, at least until we have a set of clothing for her." The servant said softly.  
  
Fainu bit her lip, and glanced to Legolas who nodded slightly. The servant took Aronon's place and the three disappeared into the washroom. Legolas reappearing quickly, looking at his older brother.  
  
"How long have you been in love with her?" He asked softly.  
  
"Be quiet Aronon, her hearing is far better than ours." He pulled his older brother out of the room, knowing that it would be at least ten minutes before Fainu was in the dress with it trimmed so that she didn't trip over it.  
  
  
  
The servant helped Fainu into the dress carefully, the soft blue material slid against her skin smoothly. Fainu didn't move she was almost scared to breathe, if she had heard right Legolas was in love with her. She shut her eyes trying to think of ways to tell him that she couldn't return his love as the servant quickly took the seam up on the bottom of the dress, she didn't even realize that another servant had come and was putting her hair up.  
  
"M' Lady." The servant said softly. "Shall I get Prince Legolas back in here to help you?"  
  
Fainu froze for a moment, she wanted to say no but she didn't know his brother well enough to trust him, though he had already helped her. She nodded slowly once and turned to look at herself in the full-length mirror. She was stunned by the person in the mirror, when she had lived in the Dark elf Caverns they had always worn dark clothing, she never had seen light material until she met Legolas, she ran her hand over the material, it was as soft as her old clothing and wasn't as aggravating against the skin as the dresses that she had worn long ago.  
  
Legolas and Aronon walked in calmly, to see the servant help Fainu turn to face them, the dark elf kept her eyes lowered. Legolas gasped, she was far more beautiful than he could have every imagined, she slowly looked up from her feet and looked at the two elves. Her eyes matched the shade of the dress, and her hair was pulled away from her face, showing off her delicate pointed ears. Aronon smiled at her softly before walking up to her and offering her his arm, she hesitated slightly before taking it, the older prince smiled and walked forwards slowly. She leaned against him as she walked, he could tell that her hip hurt her enough, she was limping. Legolas turned as she stepped up to him and took her other arm. Legolas could tell that she wasn't sure about him any more, she hardly touched him and stayed leaning against Aronon. Legolas looked over at his brother, seeing if Aronon noticed the same thing, Aronon nodded as he caught the glance.  
  
"Shall we get something to eat? The last meal was served a while ago so we'll have to go to the kitchen." Legolas said softly.  
  
"All right." She said softly. The three elves slowly made their way through the halls; Fainu glanced at the beautiful paintings and sculptures as they traveled through the maze of halls.  
  
"After we eat perhaps you would like to go on a tour of our home?" Aronon offered seeing her trying to look at all of the pictures. Fainu turned and looked at him, and nodded. "We're going down the back way to the kitchen so that we don't have to go through the pleasantries of stopping and talking to any of the elves in our father's kingdom that would wish to talk to us about you." Aronon said softly.  
  
"Thank you, I don't think I could take standing around for a long time I think I might want a rest before the tour of your home." Fainu said softly, recalling what her father had taught her about edict when she was younger.  
  
"For a warrior you are extremely well mannered." Aronon said frowning, he knew that most elven warriors were polite but Fainu acted as if she had been taught proper court edict.  
  
"Hmm." Fainu smiled as she thought about it. "Did Legolas not tell you who I am?"  
  
"No he told me that you were a dark elf and that was about it." Aronon looked over at his younger brother who bowed his head slightly. "Perhaps he should tell me the rest?"  
  
"Her father," Legolas paused slightly, "The equivalent of our father in their realm."  
  
Aronon's eyes went wide; this girl that he led was a princess in her own right. "You took the princess of the dark elves from her people?"  
  
"No he didn't." Fainu smiled sadly, knowing that she was not even the daughter of the ruler of the dark elves. "I am no princess, my father was no king. Even if he was, I would not be the princess any more."  
  
"Why not?" Aronon had a bad feeling that she was going to say that it was because she had taken Legolas into her realm.  
  
"Because I helped Legolas escape. My father was going to kill him and I stopped it and led him out of our realm. I have lost my place in society and I can not return." Fainu said softly.  
  
"You saved my brothers life?" Aronon said softly. "Our father will welcome you openly disowned or not."  
  
Fainu nodded she could smell the food from the kitchen faintly, but she was more worried about what would happen if any of the elves that for the moment treated her with such respect were to find out that se was truly the daughter of the new Dark Lord, and part Vala. She did not want them to find out, for the information was still not settled with her.  
  
Fainu looked at the plate of food that the chiefs had set before her it looked and smelt delicious. She glanced at the chief and two princes that were watching her. She slowly took a bite of the dish and shut her eyes, she had never tasted anything so wonderful, she opened her eyes and smiled before swallowing the morsel. "It is very good." She said softly. Before eating the rest of the meal, the chief smiled and got her a goblet of wine she looked at it for a moment before she lifted it carefully and smelt it. The smell hit her nose hard and she blinked, "I can't drink this." She said softly.  
  
"Is it not to the Lady's tastes?" The chef said worriedly, glancing from her to the two princes.  
  
"I'll get sick if I drink this." She said softly handing it back to the chief.  
  
"What would you like to drink then M' Lady?" The chef said looking relieved that she was not upset by the smell of the wine.  
  
Fainu looked at the empty plate for a moment, before looking up at the chef that stood waiting for her answer. "Water."  
  
"Right away M' Lady." The chief smiled knowing that he could comply with her request. Aronon looked down at her and smirked.  
  
"Sensitive stomach?" He asked softly.  
  
Fainu nodded, "I have a hard time with alcohol, and a couple other things. Really sour food has the same effect, both make my muscle spasm and I can't move at all." Fainu said softly.  
  
"We'll tell the chiefs so you don't have to worry about it during meals." Legolas said and got up to tell the head of the chiefs about Fainu's preferred tastes.  
  
The chief returned and gave Fainu a goblet of water, and smiled at her. "Here you go M' Lady." The chief said smiling and backing way. Aronon watched as the dark elf smiled and sipped the water.  
  
"Thank you." She said nodding to the chief letting her know that she was pleased. The chief bowed to her and then to the Sindarin Prince before returning to his work.  
  
Aronon looked at Legolas who had just begun talking to the head chief before he bent slightly so that his face was right in front of hers. "What did you hear? I know that you heard what I said to Legolas when you where getting dressed."  
  
"You asked him how long he had been in love with me." Fainu whispered.  
  
"Did you hear anything else?" Aronon asked harshly.  
  
"No. It shocked me enough that it was all I could think about." Fainu replied as Aronon stared hard into her eyes. Fainu didn't back down, she clenched her jaw as he leaned close to her and whispered softly in her ear. Fainu almost wanted to scream at the elf before hitting him across the face as he backed away slightly. The older prince nodded and stood up, before offering her a hand up. Fainu looked at the hand before pushing herself to her feet and glaring at him. Aronon raised an eyebrow but nodded respecting her enough to allow her to stand on her own.  
  
Legolas returned and gently touched her arm on her wounded side. She looked at him and took his arm; she took her other hand and placed it on it before turning her head to Aronon who pretended not to notice that she was glaring at him. Legolas looked down at her closely and smiled before they slowly made their way back to her room for her to rest. Aronon looked at his younger brother and the elf that leaned against him.  
  
"I'll be going to the courts now. Take care." The older prince said softly.  
  
Fainu frowned, Aronon told her that his father wanted to use her against the dark lord and that she was nothing more than a tool to them. Legolas nodded and led her to her room; he set Fainu on the bed and sat beside her.  
  
"Is it true Legolas? That I am nothing more than a tool you plan on using in the war?" Fainu asked harshly refusing to let what Aronon had told her be the only thing that she believed.  
  
Legolas was silent for a long time, "Yes, it was for the longest time but then you became a friend." He answered finally. "I'm sorry Fainu, but you will be used in the war against the Dark Lord whether or not you want to be." He added.  
  
"But I am no longer a simple tool to be used then discarded?" Fainu raised an eyebrow.  
  
"No you are no longer that." With that the blond elf stood and walked to the door. "Like I said, you are a friend." With that he slipped through the door and left her to her own devices. She laid down on the bed, careful about her hip; she was almost asleep when she heard a light tap on the door then it opened quietly.  
  
Fainu opened an eye and watched as the servant went and hung her new clothing in the wardrobe. She was too tired and hurt to get up and change into the leggings and shirt that were fashioned much after her own clothing. She shifted slightly to get more comfortable but remained in her half asleep state.  
  
The servant looked over at the dark elf when she moved, she smiled at the resting elf then noticed her eyes where shut, she gasped and ran over to the bed side.  
  
"Lady Fainu!" She shook the dark elf hard. Fainu jerked up, causing pain to sear through her hip. She ground her teeth and looked at the servant who looked relieved.  
  
"Why in Middle-Earth did you do that?" Fainu hissed as she gently touched her wounded hip, blood was staining the pale blue material letting her know that the wound had been reopened by her sudden movement.  
  
"You eyes were shut, normally when an elf's eyes shut that means that they have died." The servant said frightened by how the dark elf had reacted.  
  
Fainu shut her eyes as she nodded. "Do not watch my eyes when I sleep. Dark elves shut their eyes in their sleep, if you are worried that I am dying in my sleep watch to see if I'm still breathing before you do that again."  
  
"Oh I am sorry Lady Fainu. Do you wish to get out of that dress now? I'll care for you wound then you can change into the clothing that I brought you." The servant whispered.  
  
Fainu nodded and let the servant help her up; she forced herself to let the servant undo the fastenings on the dress. She stepped out of it carefully using the servant as a brace. She looked down at the wound; the blood slowly trickled down her hip. The servant elf bit her lip, she had never seen a wound this bad, she had thought that it was going to be a small cut, she gently put her hand on it and kept the blood from running any further.  
  
"Would you hurry up and bandage it if you are going to do so." Fainu said looking down at the delicate pale elf. The servant nodded quickly and began to clean and dress the wound. Fainu slipped on the new shirt that had been brought for her, and waited patiently for the servant to finish with the bandage before slowly putting on the pants that when with them, She looked in the full length mirror she looked almost normal with the exception of her hair. She reached up to pull her hair out of the fancy bun on the back of her head but the servant beat her there. He long dark tresses were released from the ornamental pins quickly hiding her ears again. The servant frowned and pulled back the same hair and put it into a simple braid. Fainu nodded knowing that she wasn't going to get to keep her hair down for long. The servant smiled at her, and stepped back.  
  
"Is there anything else that you require?"  
  
"Yes," Fain said softly. "Your name."  
  
The servant girl gasped, and backed away slightly. "I'm sorry I hurt you Lady Fainu please do not tell King Thranduil."  
  
Fainu frowned, "I will not tell King Thranduil, I just wish to know that way I can call you by your name when we talk."  
  
"M'Lady?" The servant whispered. "Normally we don't get asked for our names but mine is Elanor."  
  
"Thank you Elanor." Fainu said softly. "That is all for now."  
  
Elanor smiled and curtsied before ducking out of the room, she bumped into Aronon as she backed out. "I'm sorry Prince Aronon."  
  
Aronon nodded and moved past her into Fainu's room. "My father wishes a audience with you."  
  
Fainu looked at him in the mirror and tightened her jaw muscle before turning and forcing herself to walk up to him. "Let us go then." Aronon turned and lead the way to the court where his father and younger brothers waited. Legolas had spoken against him going to get Fainu but the younger princes opinion did not count as much as his yet, not in this war. 


	9. Talk of Home and Love

Chapter 9  
  
Disclaimer: The two cents of me not owning any of the characters or places from LotR, though Mirkwood is currently being painted on my bed room walls. Oh yes.Aronon is mine.keep your claws off 'im. I made him and I have a picture of him that I drew (not only can I write, I can draw too, at least everybody else says so.)  
  
Comments on Reviews (Also known as: The only way I can respond to reviews that aren't signed and don't have an email address):  
  
Lyn: (Sorry if I misunderstood your review but this is what I think you meant) I am not going to rewrite that nice little gruesome tidbit. (I don't do: 'He was mortally wounded and he died') Besides I've been known for my dark streak since the 6th grade, they tried to send me to a shrink for a poem I wrote.  
  
Author babble:  
  
Red Demon: Ack! Kara J quit beating on me! I'm writing author babble!  
  
Kara J: You neglected your duty to keep me humored!  
  
Red Demon: I know I know! I'm making up for it. Ack! Put away the pointy stick! Ack! I'm typing!  
  
Legolas: (Peaks through door) I think that that Kara J is going to keep Red occupied for a while.  
  
Aragorn: Good I don't think that I could take seeing Gimli with ribbons in his beard again.  
  
Legolas: But it looked really good.  
  
Gimli: Never trust an elf.  
  
Red Demon: What did I tell you before? (Head sticks out of door way and smiles evilly)  
  
Three LotR Characters: Ack!  
  
Aronon: Yes you told them to never trust an elf but what about me?  
  
Red Demon: You are the only exception and that is because you are a creation of my deranged imagination. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Fainu followed Aronon closely, she hated not being able run or fight back, and her hip hurt her enough that she didn't dare chance trying to find out how far she could push herself yet. The older prince glared at her over he shoulder, if she had been any younger she would have made a face at him she decided finally. Aronon stopped by a door and frowned at her.  
  
"When we get in there we will both be announced by our proper titles." Aronon said coolly. "And you are to at least bow your head to my father." Aronon said holding out his hand for her to take. Fainu nodded and took his hand and allowed herself to be led like a proper 'princess' as they called her should be.  
  
"Prince Aronon and Princess Fainu of the Dark Realms." Fainu tilted her chin up and looked down at the elves that whispered about her as she slowly descended the stairs. She could see Legolas standing with another elf beside a throne on which an older elf sat, his silvery robes added effect to the paleness of his hair and skin as with the silver and gold circlet that adorned his head. Legolas, Aronon and their other brother were dressed much the same but their circlets were simpler and only of silver. She caught Legolas' eye as she walked down the stairs, she could tell that he was silently telling her that he had not been allowed to retrieve her from her room.  
  
Legolas frowned at the fact she was back into pants and a shirt but at least theses were new and not dirty from travel like her old clothing. Her shoes and legging were black and her shirt was made from the same material that his shirt was made from. She did not wear a circlet but she carried herself like a queen, he smirked at the way she glanced over the rest of the elves in the room that were watching her. He could tell that she was silently running a head count and she was memorizing the lay out of the room, he could tell by the look in her eyes when her gaze returned to him. The crowd parted so that the two elves could go directly to King Thranduil, not wanting to greet the dark elf.  
  
Thranduil looked at the dark elf in shock; he did not think that she would be as regal looking as she was. He did not want to see how she would look if she were to be in a proper dress that would suit her high position of power. He could see how Legolas could fall in love with her she had a dangerous glint in her eyes that was hidden to most by her delicate looking body and her graceful, almost cat like movements. Aronon bowed his head to his father slightly before he took his place with his brothers, Fainu stood tall for a moment, defiance in her eyes before she finally bowed her head more out of trained etiquette than want. He watched her for a couple seconds; her dark hair was tucked behind her ears showing off the delicate tips announcing that she was truly an elf. "You may rise." He whispered so that only the closest could hear the soft command.  
  
Fainu already hated this elf, she never bowed to any before and if it were not for her training when she was younger she was sure that she and the king would have had a silent battle of wills until one finally had snapped. As it was now it was still a possibility.  
  
"Why have you traveled to our realm dark elf?" Thranduil finally asked realizing that this girl had a will to match that of Galadriel or any other of the powerful elves that had carried a ring of power and then returned to middle earth.  
  
"I have traveled here partly because I was led here and because I have little knowledge of the lands that lie beyond the forest bordering our realm." Fainu answered allowing an edge to creep into her voice. She did not like being the center of attention. She would prefer to face the wrath of Aronon when he was allowed to lose his temper and she be able to strike back than stand before an audience being judged; on the way she carried herself, how she answered questions, and how she reacted to criticism from someone that thought they were above her.  
  
"I see." Thranduil glanced over at Legolas and then back at the dark elf that did not lessen the intensity of her hard gaze. "Then you are welcome to stay here and leave when you like. But you will follow our laws while you stay here. Understood?" The king said calmly, glancing at Aronon who looked at the dark elf with disgust in his eyes, he knew that she had been set on edge before she had even arrived but his son had done a better job of hiding his distaste for the younger dark elf before.  
  
"Clearly." She answered smoothly before bowing slightly to him, when she raised her head again she saw the king motion to Legolas to take her back to her room. She waited until the youngest of the princes took her arm gently and led her out of the grand room before almost collapsing.  
  
"Are you all right?" Legolas asked as he caught her.  
  
"The next time your father sends Aronon for me do not expect me to come. I hate your brother more than I hate Galadriel." She said as Legolas supported her as they walked back to her room.  
  
"Why do you say that?" Legolas trusted his brother enough; he did not see what was so awful about him.  
  
"I did not simply walk like I did in the court room there alone. I walked all the way from my room." Fainu hissed softly, as she leaned against him.  
  
"Why?" Legolas asked tempted to simply pick the dark elf up and carry her to her room.  
  
"I was not offered his help, nor would I have wanted it after the way he had spoken to me if it had been offered." The dark elf looked up at Legolas before gritting her teeth and standing on her own strength again. With that the two elves made their way to her room slowly, when they arrived the healer that had been working on Fainu when she first arrived was opening the door to leave.  
  
"And what are you doing on your feet M'Lady?" He asked looking at her with a disapproving expression.  
  
"My father summoned her and she was in his courts. Forgive me for not carrying her but my father would not allow it." Legolas said smoothly before leading Fainu to her bed.  
  
"I see." The healer gently put his hand on Fainu's hip, the dark elf tensed and glared at the older elf. "If I do not touch the wound then it will not heal." He said patiently waiting for the elf to relax before healing her.  
  
Fainu glanced at Legolas before she finally relaxed, she had never known a healer to touch the wound, but then the only healers that she had ever dealt with were dark elves. Perhaps it was because this elf was Sindarin rather than dark, she watched the elf closely though. She could feel her hip slowly healing, and the pain that had been present slowly faded.  
  
"You're completely healed, but I suggest staying in bed tomorrow, can that be done Prince Legolas?" The healer asked glancing to the prince that stood on the far side of the room.  
  
"I will tell my father he will make sure that it is done." Legolas answered calmly.  
  
"Good, I would not like to heal her again tomorrow." The healer smiled slightly before slipping out of the room.  
  
Legolas sat beside Fainu. "How long do you think you will stay here?" He asked knowing that she already hated his home.  
  
"No longer than I need to," She answered finally. "Though I think I will take you up in the offer that you gave when we first started to come to Mirkwood."  
  
"You still want to learn how to use a bow properly." Legolas said smirking.  
  
"Of course. If I have to use one again I prefer to not be hoping that the shot will be good, I want to know that the shot is good." Fainu answered calmly.  
  
"Well when you're allowed out of bed again I will teach you." Legolas said calmly. "I'll have your servant bring you food later so that you don't have to go and find the kitchen." With that the prince left and Fainu was alone again. She laid back unsure of why she had to stay in bed for at least another day but didn't know enough of Sindarin healing to be able to make a judgment on it herself. She shut her eyes and listened to the noises outside her window, she could hear the faint sound of running water and birds, most of which she did not know. They sounded beautiful compared to the harsh calls that the birds near her realm made, she glanced towards the window, there were a few small birds perched on a nearby branch but they were not the ones making the calls. She knew that she would go crazy if she was going to stay in bed for almost a day and a half.  
  
"Lady Fainu?" Elanor said as she quietly slipped into the room. "I heard that you have been ordered to bed, is there anything that you would like?" She asked softly.  
  
Fainu stayed silent for a moment before she smiled her, "Could I have some parchment and something to write with?"  
  
Elanor smiled, "Of course I'll be right back." With that the dainty elf slipped out of the door and went off to fulfill Fainu's request. It didn't take long for her to return, she carried a large stack of parchments two quills and ink pot.  
  
"I don't know if I'll use all of those Elanor." Fainu laughed.  
  
"I know but I am going to be staying with you." Elanor said softly. Fainu smiled and nodded. At least she would have someone that she trusted. "Do you mind if I sit on the bed with you?"  
  
"No not at all." Fainu slid over to one side of the bed as Elanor set the papers down between them. Fainu took a small pile of the papers and a quill and began to sketch, Elanor watched as the quick strokes turned into a picture of the view through her window.  
  
"You are quite good M'Lady." She said softly.  
  
"Thank you Elanor." Fainu said glancing out the window, the birds were gone now but the sound of water still there. Elanor smiled and continued to write on her parchment. Fainu continued to draw until King Thranduil opened the door and looked at the two women on the bed. Fainu tensed instantly when he walked over to her, she didn't wish to deal with him now.  
  
"I heard that you have been ordered to stay in bed for a while. Are you alright?" Thranduil could see that she was not happy to see him.  
  
"As fine as a warrior can be when ordered to stay in bed." Fainu said calmly.  
  
"I am sorry." Thranduil said softly. "What happened that you were ordered to bed?"  
  
"Legolas had walked me back to my room when the healer was just leaving. He healed my hip fully before ordering me to stay in bed." Fainu answered quickly piling up the parchments that she had used.  
  
"Your hip was not fully healed when you came to see me in my courts? I apologize; you should not have been forced to put on a show when you were still wounded." Thranduil frowned.  
  
"I accept your apology." Fainu was confused; perhaps King Thranduil was lied to about her when he summoned her.  
  
"Thank you princess; I will say this for you, you are well mannered and have proven that Aronon is not always right in his judgments of character." Thranduil nodded his head towards the bed-ridden elf. "I am sorry that you will not be able to enjoy my kingdom for a while yet. "  
  
"I am sure that I will enjoy it when I am able to." Fainu smiled at Legolas' father as he turned to leave. Elanor smiled as well, she had not thought the king would do such a thing for a dark elf. Especially after everything that they had been told about Fainu by Aronon, she had known that Aronon wasn't always truthful but she had believed him at first about Fainu.  
  
"Fainu, when you first got here I was told that you were a dark elf. And I was terrified that I had done something wrong and King Thranduil was punishing me, but you aren't anything like the Dark elves that were in the stories I was told when I was younger. Can you tell me about dark elves?" Elanor asked putting down her writing.  
  
"What would you like to know?" Fainu asked frowning, she was no story teller.  
  
"Everything. What was it like where you lived?" Elanor asked sitting up looking at Fainu.  
  
"Well the realm of the dark elves is on the border of Mordor, the trees outside of the entrance to our realms aren't very healthy looking, they are thin dying and it is almost always dark and cloudy. Then once you get to the edge of our realm all you can see is sear cliff face that seems to stretch on forever and it can't be climbed, then there is an entrance hidden in the rock wall and you have to be able to speak dark elvish in order to open it." Fainu looked at Elanor who was soaking up the information that she was being told. "Then there was a long tunnel, Legolas wasn't able to see at all but dark elves can see in the dark, the tunnel is long enough and has enough branches that unless you are a dark elf or have one guiding you, you get lost in the tunnel. Beyond the tunnel there are two huge chambers that have been hollowed out in the rock. The both chambers have massive trees, most are at least twice the size of the Mirkwood trees, and the main part of our civilization is in the canopy of the trees. In the middle of the second chamber there is a lake, it is spelled so that there isn't any fog, and it can't be swum in because of the spell." Fainu paused as Elanor when and lit the small lamps as the sun began to set.  
  
"I'm sorry. I'll go get us some food and then you can finish describing the dark elf realm to me." Elanor smiled apologetically before slipping out of the room. Fainu smiled she hated telling about her home, she wasn't good at it, she frowned and looked at the door as it opened again, there was no way that Elanor was back already, she knew the rough distance to the kitchen and even if she had run it was impossible. She tensed as Aronon walked into the room, and she only relaxed when Legolas shut the door.  
  
"Are you alright Fainu?" Legolas asked moving to her bedside.  
  
"Yes I'm fine, Elanor has kept me company." Fainu answered sitting up a bit more. She didn't care to see Aronon, but if that was the only way she was going to see anybody else than she would make do.  
  
"Your servant is keeping you company? Legolas asked slightly shocked.  
  
"Yes she is, she is very nice." Fainu answered as she watched Legolas step aside to allow Aronon to speak. The older prince glared at her for a moment, his steel blue eyes narrowed and his mouth set in a slight frown.  
  
"Forgive me Fainu for making you walk unaided for as far as you did. I did not know that you still wounded as bad as you were." The older prince carefully worded his apology, but seemed to not realize that Fainu did not believe him because of the expression on his face that only she could see.  
  
Fainu watched him carefully and waited for a couple seconds after he had finished, preparing to mask the lie that she was about to say for Legolas' sake. She knew that he had made his brother come here to apologize, and that Aronon would not of done so otherwise.  
  
"I forgive you Aronon, I realize that elves do normally heal faster than what I have been. I do not know why I am not healing like I normally do, so you can not be blamed." She hated saying those words but she would not flat out tell Aronon off in front of Legolas who seemed happy with how things seemed to be resolved. Aronon nodded slightly knowing she was simply acting her part for Legolas' sake and not truly meaning all of what she had said. He turned to Legolas, and smiled slightly.  
  
"There brother I have apologized, now I'll be leaving." With that the older prince slipped out the door. He could see Elanor carefully making her way back to Fainu's room and knew that Legolas wasn't going to talk to the Dark elf long. With that he turned to go back to his room.  
  
Elanor saw Aronon leaving Fainu's room and hurried her step, she knew that Aronon and Fainu did not get along well and feared for her charge's safety. She opened the door quickly to see Legolas sitting on the bed with Fainu talking about what she was going to do tomorrow since she would still be ordered to bed. She smiled and stepped into the room carrying the tray of food. "I hope you don't mind that I brought you water instead of wine, the chief said he prepared your dish especially for you and told me that you would not mind."  
  
"No I don't mind at all, he knows my preferences when it comes to food." Fainu answered smiling. Legolas stood and moved aside so that Fainu would be able to eat comfortably.  
  
"I shall be going now. Perhaps I will eat with you tomorrow at supper?" He asked looking to Elanor who looked up at him; she wanted to stay with the dark elf that offered her a friendship so openly. "Of course it would be to keep both of you company." He added seeing the look in the servants eyes.  
  
"That would be nice wouldn't it Elanor?" Fainu asked turning her head towards her servant. Elanor smiled and nodded, she did not mind Legolas' company he was kind to all of the elves in his father's realm unlike Aronon who did not seem to understand that just because he was a prince it did not make him better than every other elf. Fainu turned back to Legolas, and smirked, "And when should we be expecting you?"  
  
"I'll bring supper, though I'm afraid that that will be the only time that I will be able to see you." Legolas said frowning. "Now that you are well my father wants me to tell him everything about you and your home, though I don't think I'll do a very good job."  
  
"Lady Fainu is telling me all about her home." Elanor said softly, "She doesn't like talking about her home much though do you?" Elanor smiled her dark blue eyes sparkled in the soft light given off by the lamps.  
  
"No, I don't. I have never been one to tell stories though." Fainu said as she began to eat the small portion of meat that had been put on her plate.  
  
"Good bye and good night, Fainu, Elanor." With that the pale elf prince slipped out of the door and Elanor sighed.  
  
"You are so lucky Lady Fainu." Elanor said as she ate on the bed beside the dark elf.  
  
"Why do you say that Elanor?" Fainu paused, her fork halfway to her mouth.  
  
"It was every girls dream to have the eye of the youngest prince, and you have seem to not only have caught his eye but also his heart." The elven servant bubbled. Fainu set lowered her fork and half shut her eyes. "What's wrong M'Lady?"  
  
"Nothing really. Prince Legolas has caught my eye as well but for a different reason, I do not know if he will ever catch my heart. For my heart was given to another long ago." Fainu whispered.  
  
"Who is this? This elf that could take the heart of someone that seems so free what is his name? Was he a prince as well?" Elanor put her own food aside and looked to Fainu.  
  
"He was no prince, he was a warrior and a poet at the same time." Fainu answered setting her own food aside knowing that she would not eat the rest with the questions that she knew Elanor was going to be asking her.  
  
"A warrior and a poet? What was his name what did he look like?" Elanor knew that so far this elf sounded like a fairy tale to her, because only princes knew both but normally only succeed at one. Even Legolas was no exception to that, he was an excellent warrior and was well mannered but no one ever heard him saying poems to an elf that he had fallen in love with. Perhaps though he had not yet met one that he could speak of in such a way.  
  
"His name was Kallieere, and he was definitely both a warrior and poet. To describe him though," She trailed off, picturing the elf that she had promised herself to centuries ago.  
  
"Please tell me what he looks like. He sounds to good to be true, even for an elf." Elanor whispered excitedly.  
  
"He looks," Fainu paused slightly before finally deciding that it did not matter more. "A lot like Legolas which is why Legolas caught my eye. Except Kallieere had my color hair and it was done differently, but other than that they are identical for looks."  
  
"I can see why Prince Legolas may not get you heart. Is he going to come and get you when you finally decide to leave?" Elanor asked not noticing the tears that had started to form in Fainu's eye.  
  
"He is not coming for me, he is waiting for me rather." Fainu whispered hanging her head slightly.  
  
"Where is he waiting for you? Are you going to leave as soon as Legolas teaches you archery?"  
  
"No I'm not going to leave as soon as Legolas teaches me to use a bow. I'll leave when it is time." Fainu struggled to keep the silent tears back.  
  
"Time for what? Where is he?" Elanor frowned looking at Fainu she did not know what was so upsetting about what they were talking about.  
  
"Kallieere is waiting for me, at the entrance to the Hall of Mandros." Fainu answered softly glancing up at her servant.  
  
"He's dead?" Elanor gasped, she had felt a sadness on Fainu but she had thought that it was because she had been exhiled and she and her beloved could not be together as soon as they would like to but she had never thought that Kallieere would be dead. "When did he die?"  
  
"You will think I am being foolish." Fainu whispered.  
  
"No not at all M'Lady. Elves normally marry for life so I understand that your heart still belongs to Kallieere." Elanor gently put her hand on Fainu's arm.  
  
"He died almost five hundred years ago defending me." Fainu said softly.  
  
"He died for you?" Elanor bit her lip, and gently ran her hand down the dark elf's arm; "Did you promise you heart to him before he died?"  
  
Fainu nodded, "I promised him my heart long before that day. He had my heart for years before that." She leaned towards the gentle touch.  
  
Elanor wrapped an arm around the dark elf, the sadness that had been over Fainu lessened slightly and Elanor felt be about asking Fainu about her beloved. "Perhaps we should finish your description of your home tomorrow?" Fainu nodded as Elanor quickly gathered the papers and the trays that were on the bed before helping Fainu slip under the covers on the bed. She backed out of the room carrying the two trays, and left the pile of parchments and the quills and ink on the wooden table across from the bed.  
  
Fainu curled up slightly and shut her eyes, she felt drained and she did not want to wake up tomorrow but she knew that she would. Elanor silently came back into the room and blew out the lamps; she smiled sadly at the dark elf before disappeared into the hall.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
More Author Babble for Kara J's sanity (Or is it insanity?):  
  
Red Demon: Must finish ninth chapter.(Eyes shut and head falls forward hitting computer monitor waking up the caffeine deprived author.)  
  
Legolas: (Watches Red Demon from perch on couch.) Wow. I never thought that I would see Red Demon run out of steam like that.  
  
Aragorn: (Sitting between Legolas and Gimli but holding a hand over Gimli's mouth to keep the dwarf from saying something that would wake the half dead author up.) Your right, normally Gimli would have said something that would have got her attention by now and she would still be typing up a storm.  
  
Legolas: (Nods grimly)  
  
Kara J: (Wanders into computer room with extremely huge curlers in hair) Is the chapter finished yet?  
  
Legolas Aragorn and Gimli: Ack! (Lunge towards Red Demon not knowing what was happening with Kara J)  
  
Red Demon: (Turns slowly towards Kara J preparing to tell older author off.sees hair and jaw drops.) You.are...using...hair.rollers? (Starts to giggle softly before falling off computer chair laughing hysterically)  
  
Kara J: (Glares at Legolas who has also started to giggle) yes. Your point is? Lots of people use them!  
  
Red Demon: (Points at Kara J) Lots of OLD people use them!  
  
Kara J: I'm only using them to keep the bottom of my hair nicely curled under since I cut it, besides more than just old people use them.  
  
Red Demon: Like who? (Sits up, looking extremely serious.)  
  
Kara J: (Motions to people behind her.Out come Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin, their hair in tiny rollers.)  
  
Red Demon, Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli: (Stare at four hobbits for an instant, their eyes getting bigger and bigger by the second) Bwahahahahahahahaha! (Fall over on each other laughing.)  
  
Kara J: (Narrows eyes and walks over to Red Demon picking her up by the back of the neck and shaking her.) Don't you have a tenth chapter to type?  
  
Red Demon: (Nods wide eyed) But then you have a chapter to type for your Cookies and Beer Story or whatever it's called story with the hobbits.  
  
Kara J: (Growls curses under breath before dropping smaller author on top of the three LotR characters) I hate you. I really hate you. 


	10. Memories of Love, Life and Death

Chapter 10  
  
Disclaimer: DON'T SUE!  
  
~*~*~*~== dream/flashback  
  
'I'm thinking'==thought in head  
  
Lady Tremere: Sorry for keeping u waiting for Legolas/Fainu 'alone' time, but to bad. Though there is slight Kallieere/Fainu 'alone' time. I had to stay my hand from writing more.this story will not be rated R. This will not be rated R. Hangs head in defeat. It's gonna go R.  
  
Author Babble:  
  
Red Demon: Kara J! Help me with this (Digging through a huge pit of ideas for Kallieere flashbacks)  
  
Kara J: No.It's funner to watch you suffer.  
  
Kallieere: Why are you going through there?  
  
Fainu: (Peers over Kallieere shoulder) No kidding.  
  
Red Demon: What do you mean why am I going through here? YOU KNOW WHY I'm GOING THROUGH HERE!  
  
Kallieere: (Raises eye brow) No. I. Don't.  
  
Red Demon: Do I need to draw you a picture?  
  
Fainu: You do realize that all the flashbacks you need are in our heads? Those are just the backups. (Smiles sweetly at author.)  
  
Red Demon: (twitch suddenly appears in eye before lunges at the two dark elves.) Why I oughtta!  
  
Kallieere: (Grabs Fainu and dodges) You might have bumped me off in the story but I know you love me too much to actually delete me from reality. Besides people have read the story and want more about me.  
  
Red Demon: (Glares at elves before lunging and grabbing Kallieere's ear and pulling him to the computer and trying to figure out how to attach him to a USB port)  
  
Legolas: (Sneaks up on Fainu and grabs here) He hee!  
  
Red Demon: Drop her! (Shouted from other room)  
  
Legolas: Awww! (Lets go of Fainu)  
  
Kallieere: Damn right!  
  
Fainu: Time to continue the story I think she figured out she could just ask him.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
'I know this place.' Fainu realized as she sat watching herself as a child. She was back in the small room where she had been kept when she was just brought back from Mordor.  
  
"I want out of here!" Her younger self shouted at the door banging against it with her small fists.  
  
"Be quiet!" A voice called out from outside of the door.  
  
"Don't be so harsh on her." Fainu knew that voice now; she knew what was going to happen next as well. Slowly the door opened a crack letting light flood into the small room. "Tell me if our Lord comes." With that the door opened and Kallieere walked over to the small girl. He bent over and smiled gently at her as she glared up at him in defiance. Fainu watched as Kallieere brushed the tangles in her dark hair.  
  
"Why do I hafta stay in here? I don't like it in here."  
  
"I know little one." Kallieere looked sadly at the small elven child, "But I don't make the rules here."  
  
"I think you should." Fainu said, crossing her arms.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Fainu jerked awake something had changed abut the room she was in. Her eyes quickly focused to the light, she knew that what ever it was or who ever it was she was not use to them and their presence was making her uneasy. She didn't see anyone though, she laid back and shut her eyes again finally, but she did not fall asleep, she didn't like what ever was happening. She listened for any noise that was not coming from her, but after a couple hours without anything she signed and resigned herself to sleep again. 'I probably won't have that nice of a dream again.' She thought as she slipped back into the darkness of dreams.  
  
Fainu followed Kallieere as he raced through the lower levels of the first chamber. She knew that it was years later and it she had most likely disappeared from the watchful eye of her protector and only friend.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Fainu! Where have you gotten to now?" Kallieere called running through the first chamber.  
  
"Who are you looking for Kallieere?" Asked one of the young elves that had come from the training range.  
  
"A young girl elf, she's about your size with bright blue eyes." The Dark Elf Hunter said softly bending over, "Have you seen her?"  
  
"Of course she's in the training range. She's really good." The elf said. "I was going to get my older brother to show her up."  
  
"Really? Well don't, she shouldn't be in there so I'm going and getting her." With that Kallieere stood and walked to the training range. He could hear blades whistling through the air and hitting the target from the soft thuds they made he could tell that they were hitting the center of the target. He walked past the between the tall trees on the way to the range, he could see that the person throwing the blades was Fainu. He smirked she looked a bit strange in her long dark dress throwing the elven blade with such precision. "Fainu!"  
  
The teenage elf paused mid throw, her eyes widened ever so slightly before she quickly handed the knife to an elf standing near by then ran for it. Kallieere frowned, but gave chase, he needed to catch her so she could go to the formal banquet that his Lord was putting on. He was amazed at how well she ran in the dress, without causing it or herself any harm, he did not like do this with her but he knew that his Lord did not treat her well enough to make her want to have anything to do with him.  
  
"Fainu get back here you have to go to the banquet!" He called as he slowly closed the distance between himself and the part dark elf that his Lord had taken to be as his heir and daughter.  
  
"I'm not going!" Fainu shouted over her shoulder as she began up the stairs to the upper level.  
  
"You have to or your father will have my head!" Kallieere called back as he bound up the stairs three at a time.  
  
Fainu paused; she knew that her father would at least give Kallieere a harsh punishment. Suddenly she felt strong arms wrap around her and hold her arms to her sides. "Let me go Kallieere." She whispered. "I will go, as it is you will probably be punished for not keeping me in check."  
  
Kallieere loosened his grip on the girl, though he was roughly two-hundred years her senior he was attached to her and would take any beating required to let her have some freedom. "'Tis all right Fainu, I do not mind. Your father is over-strict you often." With that he released her and took her arm gently leading her back through the chamber towards her father's grand home and to the banquet.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Legolas slipped down the hall silently on his way to Fainu's room, he felt that something was terribly wrong and he did not know what it was. He ducked down another hallway as a servant slowly made his rounds at night. He waited until he couldn't hear the servant anymore before continuing on his way. When he reached Fainu's door he slowly opened it and crept in silently, to see Fainu sleeping peacefully on her bed for once. He smiled and glanced around the room, he still was worried but it wasn't nearly as bad anymore, but he decided that he would stay in the room for a bit longer to make sure that she was truly alright.  
  
Fainu looked up at Kallieere, she bright blue eyes had faded over from the pain she was in. The older dark elf sat on the bed beside her; his strong smooth fingers ran over her cool face as he whispered to her softly.  
  
"Amin mela lle, aa' feamin chebi lle sinome. (I love you, may my spirit keep you here.)" Kallieere gently lifted her up. He could not believe that his Lord would do such a thing, he gently undid the back of the dress to reveal the welts that covered her back, the skin was ripped from a hook that had been dipped in a poison to cause this sickness and pain that was sending Fainu towards death. He could feel the gasping breaths of the young elf against his throat as he reached for a small mortar of ointment to help heal the wound and dull the pain. He gently ran the ointment over the lash marks only to hear a whimper escape from Fainu. He sighed but knew that he had to finish applying the ointment. He laid her back down on the bed and pulled his cloak off and wrapped it over her, they were both in the room that she had been in when she was younger, she hadn't been in this room for almost thirty years, he prayed that she did not remember it when she got well.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Legolas' head jerked up, pain and fear radiated from Fainu. He didn't know what caused this sudden change, perhaps when she was healed it released some of her memories and she was dreaming about them. He had heard that it happened sometimes with Sindarin elves and he knew that dark elves were once elves. He hoped that this would be a one night thing from when she was healed because he had been drawn to her room because of the fear and pain that came from her. He turned and forced himself to go back to his room so that he didn't wake her, with that he silently left the room.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Kallieere sighed as he gently held Fainu, the lashes on her back were almost completely healed but she was not getting better other than that, at least she was sleeping with her eyes shut again. He did not know why they were both being punished for something that had been entirely his fault, he had let it slip that he was in love with Fainu in front of his Lord and she had looked at him, judging how much he had meant the words. Her father though did not like the thought of one of his Hunters and the daughter that he had claimed from the cave of Mordor being in love. But there was nothing that he could do anymore, Fainu had met his gaze and silently told him with her eyes that she believed him.  
  
"Kallieere-" Fainu whispered her eyes opening slightly, struggling to focus.  
  
"It's all right Fainu I am fine." He whispered.  
  
"How long have we been in here? Where are we?" She asked struggling to sit up but Kallieere held her where she was.  
  
"We have been in here for a few days, and this is an old cell that I don't think has been use in almost thirty years." At least he was telling most of the truth, he would not tell her this was the room where she had lived for the first part of her life in the Dark Realm.  
  
Fainu sat silently as she thought over what she had just learned; her head still was spinning from the poison that lingered in her body. "You said you loved me when we just got in here didn't you?"  
  
Kallieere was surprised that she knew what he had said when she was so sick. He shut his eyes and nodded his head before he looked back down at her.  
  
"Amin mela lle vee' eithel. (I love you as well.)" She whispered, "Lle cael-nin corm ar' fea Kallieere. (You have my heart and soul Kallieere.)  
  
"Ar' lle cael- haba. (And you have mine.)" Kallieere lowered his head and gently brushed his lips against Fainu's, at first he was hesitant, he did not want to rush the young elf. But she kissed back and did not hesitate, he deepened the kiss slightly, his hand cupped the base of her skull, pulling her against him. When they pulled apart they looked at each other, Kallieere could see that her eyes still weren't fully focused and he smiled softly. "Perhaps we will wait until you are completely well before we continue?"  
  
"Perhaps." Fainu whispered, she was glad that they were not continuing, she did not have the strength to do anything more. Kallieere moved her so that her head rested on his shoulder; he leaned back and stroked her hair gently until she fell asleep.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Lady Fainu, it is time to wake up." Elanor said softly as she walked over to the bed, she didn't understand how any elf could sleep as long as she was. Perhaps she knew she was going to be trapped in bed and she planned on sleeping to pass some of the time.  
  
Fainu opened an eye in the direction of her friend and then glanced at the window, sun streamed in but did not hit her yet, it wouldn't until the afternoon with the direction of the window. "What time is it?"  
  
"It is near lunch, I came in earlier but you were still sound asleep so I let you be." Elanor said softly. "Is that all right?"  
  
"Of course it is." Fainu answered, "Though I have only slept that long once before, and I was severely wounded."  
  
"Perhaps it is from mixing our magic with yours?" Elanor suggested as she went to the window and opened it.  
  
"Perhaps." Fainu nodded, she would not tell her that she had dreamt of Kallieere all night and had not wanted to wake.  
  
"Would you like me to fetch you some food? I have already eaten but I am sure that you are hungry." Elanor said noticing that Fainu was not telling her the whole truth.  
  
"Yes that would be nice." Fainu answered absentmindedly, she was thinking about why all of her dreams had been of Kallieere when he was still alive when normally she dreamed about his death. She shut her eyes as the scene flashed through her mind  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Kallieere snarled at her father, "What do you think you are doing? She hasn't been trained to fight, if you send her out of the realm alone she will not survive."  
  
"Fainu is not important to me, I have a new life mate and she will give me my own child." The Dark Elf Lord answered waving a dismissing hand in his direction.  
  
Kallieere stood and turned to Fainu who was being held by two guards, they had put her in hunters clothing and had given her two blades. Her blue eyes burned with hatred, she had been accused of a petty crime and had been given the harshest punishment for it. She had not even done the crime. "I am going with her if you are going to send her out."  
  
"Fine, if you survive the day then I will allow you back in." With that the elven ruler stood and slipped into the back room.  
  
Kallieere felt strong arms pull his wrists behind his back before they were bound and he was lead out the door behind Fainu. Crowds watched as the two elves were led out of their Lords chamber. Everybody knew that Fainu was betrothed to Kallieere and they were to be wed in less than a week, some of the elves stood watching the couple being forced to the entrance of their realm with distaste. Others had sorrow in their eyes, they knew that Fainu had been unjustly accused of the crime and her and her beloved were both being sentenced unfairly, that would perhaps even kill them. They elf that had accused Fainu gloated at her in triumph.  
  
Fainu wished nothing more than to be able to slit his throat or at least the tongue from his mouth. Suddenly she felt Kallieere walking beside her. "What were you thinking Kallieere? You have sentenced us both to death."  
  
"I told you that you have my heart and soul. I will not be parted from you this easily amin mela. (my love)" Kallieere whispered back, he looked deep into her eyes trying to tell her silently that what he said was true and that nothing in the world could change that.  
  
"I fear that will be the end of us though." Fainu whispered wishing nothing more than to be in his arms.  
  
"Don't worry Fainu I am going to be with you forever." Kallieere said smiling slightly as they were pushed into the long dark tunnel, their eyes quickly changed to the lighting and they walked in silence until they were outside. Their bonds were removed and the entrance to the realm was sealed.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"What troubles you Fainu?" Elanor asked as she set down the tray of food that she had brought snapping Fainu out of her memory.  
  
"I will not trouble you with that burden Elanor you are to good of a friend." Fainu answered.  
  
"Surely you will tell me." Elanor said looking at the dark elf, fearing that if her friend held in her grief that it would eventually overtake her spirit. "Do you not know the weaknesses of the elves?"  
  
"Aye, I know the weaknesses well Elanor, but if grief were to take me than it should have almost 500 years ago. I doubt that grief is what will kill me and send me to the Halls." Fainu said softly.  
  
"Please, perhaps I can lighten the grief that you carry." Elanor said sitting beside Fainu.  
  
"No. I will not tell you, it is not a story that I have shared openly." Fainu answered as she picked up the delicate spoon and began eating the meal.  
  
Elanor sighed, she wished to know what happened to her friends betrothed, perhaps it would help her understand why she was the way she was. She had not been as down cast when she was up and moving, perhaps that was her way of forgetting what had happened in the past for the moment. "Some day perhaps you will tell me?"  
  
"I doubt that you will ever learn the whole story. Even the dark elves do not know fully what happened. And they had 500 years to gain my trust." Fainu said sipping the juice that she had gotten finishing her meal.  
  
"So none share your knowledge?" Elanor shut her eyes she wanted nothing more than to know why her newest friend, secluded others from her in such a way.  
  
"None share enough to know what happened fully." Fainu answered. "I wish to be left with my thoughts."  
  
"All right M'Lady." Elanor took the tray knowing that she would pry nothing from the dark elf by force.  
  
Fainu watched the receding back as the Sindarin elf left. Her mind was slowly wandering back to her memories though and she knew that she would not survive another day stuck in bed. She could feel her grief slowly inching towards her, she did not think that telling anybody would help, she had never stopped moving or training after she had been allowed back into her realm except when she dropped into a sleepless dream from shear exhaustion.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Black blood was sprayed across the base of the cliff, Fainu and Kallieere had their backs to the wall, there was no escaping the huge mass, Fainu had already been wounded as had Kallieere. Their blood flowed freely causing a black and red pool to slowly form at their feet.  
  
"Why are they attacking like this?" Fainu asked as she brought her knife up slicing the throat of a nearby orc. She was growing tired she had never trained to fight, and she had never seen death this close, she had never smelt the blood of her enemies on the ground and on her. She glanced at Kallieere who had simply grunted his reply, the orcs were not stopping they wanted the two dark elves. They had no hope of getting back into the entrance, Kallieere had tried to open it with the password three times already, their backs were against the door and they could not escape into the darkness of the tunnels that had long protected them.  
  
"Huine assa ar' vara lye!" (Darkness open and protect us!)" Kallieere said again, praying that the spell holding the entrance to their realm shut had finally diminished enough to let the password open the door again. He could see that his beloved was faltering, her strokes with the blades were not as precise any more, he was glad that she had snuck off when she was younger to learn how to fight as much as she did or she would have already been dead. He turned his attention fully back to the orcs that he was defending against. It seemed that for ever orc they killed two more managed to get through the traps that lined the forest before the cliff, he knew that soon the orcs would run out of men or they would die. He was busy killing the orcs that were attacking him when he heard a slight whimper from behind him.  
  
Fainu stared at the orc who held the blade that was pierced through her right shoulder. At first it had hurt but now it was numb, everything was going numb. The orc let out a cry of triumph before reaching to grab her face. She didn't know what happened suddenly, the hand of the orc was cut off and the twisted creature screamed in anger and pain. The blade in her shoulder was pulled clear quickly only to fall on the ground as its owner died. She sank to the blood soaked ground, her eyes were hazy and she could only make out the faint image of Kallieere killing orc after orc. She suddenly felt strong arms lift her up from behind, they were not gentle but she could tell that they were elves.  
  
"Kallieere! Pull back!" Knives flew past the guardian and struck the closest orcs.  
  
The guardian glanced over his shoulder at Itheal before he backed towards the entrance. He could see Itheal handing Fainu back further into the darkness.  
  
"Why is our punishment being removed now?" He asked knowing that Itheal wanted Fainu, and he thought that he should be the one to marry the elf because he was only a hundred years older than her.  
  
"Your punishment has not been removed just changed." Itheal said curtly as he pressed his hands against the wound causing Fainu to gasp in pain.  
  
"Changed to what?" Kallieere asked freeing himself of the grip and went over to Fainu.  
  
"One of you is to die, the other to live." Itheal said looking at Kallieere knowing that he would not let Fainu die which would leave him to gain her heart with time.  
  
"No." Fainu whimpered trying to sit up, Kallieere held her down and looked at Itheal before turning back to Fainu.  
  
"It's okay Fainu I won't let anything happen to you." He whispered softly as he bent down over her and gently kissed the wounded elf, before he stood up. Two guards stepped forwards to grab his arms.  
  
"No Kallieere." Fainu struggled against Itheal. Kallieere moved back to Fainu, and gently cupped her face.  
  
"I'm sorry Fainu but I can't stay with you here." Kallieere said softly.  
  
"Please no, I'm wounded, please."  
  
"I'm not going to let you die. Not now." With that he stood and the two guards guided him down the dark tunnel. Itheal smirked and wrapped the wound as best he could before lifting Fainu up and following.  
  
Kallieere allowed himself to be tied to the table on the platform that was going to be moved out to the center of the lake, Itheal continued into the Lords chamber and let the Dark elf heal his adopted daughter.  
  
"Kallieere was forced to die?" He asked glaring at the now frantic elf that Itheal was trying to hold.  
  
"No he chose to." Itheal answered calmly. The Dark Elf Lord nodded solemnly and went into the chamber and onto the platform. It was slowly pulled to the center of the lake, Itheal held Fainu by the arms as she struggled to get to the lake. "Stay still." The hunter hissed.  
  
Fainu was forced to watch, silvery tears ran down her cheeks as her father prayed before slitting open the blood soaked shirt. She screamed as the blade came down again and cut open her beloved's stomach. She could see his body tense and twitch from the pain before he went limp, her bottom limp trembled and her body tightened up, her entire being wretched as her father cut open Kallieere's chest before his heart was pulled out. She herself went limp and would have fallen if it had not been for Itheal holding her up. She felt as if her heart had been torn out as well and she felt grief closing in on her.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Fainu?" Legolas asked as he walked in to visit the bed-ridden elf, he just had a few minutes before he had to return to his fathers courts. "Fainu!" The elven prince raced to the bed and gently pulled the limp body into his arms, her eyes were open and silvery tears ran down them but there was no life in them, they were vacant and distant.  
  
He spoke softly to the elf in his arms; he could not tell if she was dying, he just knew that he needed to bring her back from where she was before she did die. The silvery tears didn't stop, they kept slowly sliding down her pale face in tiny streams. "Fainu, please wake up you can't die now." He whispered softly in her ear, praying to the Vala that she would wake up.  
  
'Kallieere? Is that you?' Fainu asked as she felt strong arms holding her close and a soft voice whispering in her ear.  
  
"Fainu wake up!" The voice said urgently.  
  
'Don't know if I can wake up.' The thought flew into her mind and terrified her, she had to wake up she had to.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Author Notes:  
  
YUCK! Okay who else is sick of lovey-dovey crud? I know I am, time to dig out my dark muse. Will most likely have Legolas and Fainu's relationship continue for a while before I do anything to spectacularly gruesome. Like what was going to happen to Leggy? I forced myself to tame it a bit though so it isn't as dark and frightening as it was in my mind originally. Having trouble thinking of more story at the moment though, may be a while, should probably get chapter 1 of silver and gold up first before chapter 11. And I know I hate when people do this but I want more reviews. For basically all of my stories, I don't give a rip if you don't do 12 days but I would like this one and Silver and Gold reviewed it speeds up typage. 


	11. Aronon's Betrayal

Chapter 11  
  
Andrea: Thanks for the comment, got caught up in developing Fainu forgot about (in one of the names given by the Florida Flower for everybody's favorite archer in the Fellowship) developing Lego Lu-Lu. Thank you for reminding me, trust me we will have more Legolas thoughts eventually. There is a long way to go in the story yet.  
  
Lady T: I realized that Destiny's Pawns has "Lovey crud" but you see the only type love that I'm really good at writing is no longer allowed here so I dislike writing lovey crud. I will though eventually be able to write it as good as all the violent things that I know. I don't really care about writing and posting R rated material with the exception of the fact my mother found out my pen name and at times goes and reads it. May change pen names when story goes R, may not give a rat's ass by then though.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Legolas sat watching as the Dark elf as he talked to her, her breathing was slowly returned to normal and her open eyes shut part way. He didn't know if it was a good or bad sign, he knew that she slept with her eyes shut so perhaps she was getting better. Elanor raced into the room.  
  
"Fainu!" The servant cried when she saw her dark friend with her eyes open slightly and almost like any elf's eyes when they slept.  
  
"What happened?" Legolas asked as he paused from talking to Fainu.  
  
"I don't know I'm sorry, she asked to be left alone so I did. I didn't know this would happen, if I did I wouldn't have-"  
  
"It's all right." Legolas said as he returned to talking softly to Fainu. He was worried, he had felt that she was grieving the other night but it had not been enough to do this. He prayed silently that she would not die, even though Fainu did not love him he still wanted to be able to talk to her and see her everyday. "Fainu wake up."  
  
Fainu snarled at herself for being so weak, she had to wake up or at least further the distance from her grief. She could hear Legolas' voice and decided to follow it away from her grief and death that stood beckoning to her gently even though it would mean that she would have to wait longer to see Kallieere she owed it to the Mirkwood Prince.  
  
Legolas breathed a sigh of relief as the dark elf's eyes shut fully and her breathing became normal again. He looked up at Elanor who was almost in tears. "It's all right Elanor. I think that she is only asleep; I'm going and telling my father what has happened then coming back. Stay with her and talk to her if she starts to slip again," With that Legolas stood and left. Elanor was relieved that the prince wasn't mad at her and decided to send her to be a servant to a different guest because she had left Fainu alone.  
  
Legolas quickly slipped into his fathers courts; guest smiled and greeted him as he walked towards his father. He nodded and smiled at the guests but didn't stop like he normally would have he was too worried about Fainu.  
  
"What is it Legolas? You look like you have had a close brush with death." Thranduil asked quietly leaning forwards as his son bowed his head quickly.  
  
"I have not but I have pulled Fainu back from a close brush." He whispered softly. "I want to go and stay with her for the rest of the day. I fear she retreated into painful memories alone and didn't have anyone to share her grief with and Elanor wouldn't disobey the person that she is serving." The youngest prince said softly.  
  
Aronon listened to the conversation with mild interest; he had not thought that the dark elf that his brother had brought had anything to truly grieve about. "Sure little brother you do not know of what you speak." He said calmly.  
  
Legolas glanced up at his brother, and for the first time saw that his brother wished Fainu dead. "I know very well of what I am speaking of Aronon." His eyes locking on his brothers both held their gaze until their father spoke. Aronon broke first to look at his father.  
  
"Aronon, you may be the crown prince of this kingdom but Legolas is far more gifted when it comes to fighting and wounds both physical and emotional. If he thinks that Fainu is truly in danger of dying from her grief, I am willing to side with him." Thranduil said sharply and glared at his first son. "If you would like to go Legolas I shall not summon you to my side until tomorrow when Fainu can join you."  
  
Legolas nodded and bowed before he looked to Aronon, his oldest brother looked passive to most but Legolas could see that if it were possible Aronon would be scowling at him. The youngest prince turned and quickly exited the room, apologizing to most of the guests that spoke to him telling them he had urgent business.  
  
Elanor looked up as Legolas re-entered the room. "She hasn't changed at all Prince Legolas."  
  
Legolas nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose thinking hard. "I think I made Fainu and myself and enemy." He said softly. "My brother was insulted by my father when I told him what happened."  
  
"You don't think that Aronon would try anything do you?" Elanor looked at the youngest prince wide-eyed.  
  
"As long as someone is around I don't think he would try to harm either of us. And he would be more likely to try to take on Fainu when she's alone. He doesn't know that she's really good at fighting, I don't think that he could truly do anything to either of us except he may be able to over power her until she is fully healed." Legolas said sitting down on the edge of the mattress being careful of Fainu. "And he is more likely than not going to do it tonight if he is going to get his revenge. Perhaps I will stay in here the night even if my father frowns upon it."  
  
Elanor nodded. "Perhaps I should stay as well?"  
  
"No I don't think that that will be necessary. If you did he might try to use you as another target." Legolas looked to Fainu, she shifted in her sleep turning towards Legolas, but she didn't look relaxed. It was as if she sensed the danger that Legolas and Elanor knew of.  
  
Aronon stood on the other side of the door; he was surprised that his little brother would think he would actually do anything right away. He knew that he would immediately be blamed; he would wait until the dark elf was out and about. He knew that there would be very few elves that would accept her immediately and he could easily blame it on any of them. With that the crown prince walked away, he didn't know that his other brother, Malminya had followed him slowly, and had seen him pause and listen to the door where Fainu and his younger brother were. Once Aronon was gone he quickly went to the door and went in.  
  
Legolas looked up as the door swung open quickly, his hand reaching for his twin blades that he wasn't wearing.  
  
"You have every right to be jumpy little brother." Malminya said raising his hands, showing that he wielded no weapon.  
  
"Malminya." Legolas had to fight against his urge to sigh in relief.  
  
"Aronon was listening to you. I followed him, I trust him about as much as you do." With that the middle child of Thranduil moved towards the bed pulling out his dagger and handing it to Legolas. "You will probably want this, though I do think that he will wait a while before he does do anything."  
  
"Thank you." Legolas said smiling at his brother, who looked at Fainu.  
  
"She was close to death wasn't she?" Malminya smiled sadly.  
  
"She was, though I think she will be a lot better tomorrow. I believe she only came that close to grief because she slipped into memories."  
  
"Memories? She isn't old enough to have that many painful memories is she?" Malminya silently appraised the elf; he knew that she was young, at most only being a thousand years old.  
  
"She may be young to us but Dark Elves die faster than we do. They live in a far more dangerous place so they are killed, they also reach maturity faster so the wed faster." Legolas said calmly, knowing that so far he hadn't said anything that Fainu would not have told him herself.  
  
"They reach maturity faster?" Malminya raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I'd assume so. Most of their kind die before they get to be a thousand. There have only been a few exceptions." Legolas said putting the dagger on the night table.  
  
"So what happened to her that caused her to lapse into such grief?" Malminya asked sitting at the foot of the bed.  
  
"I don't think that she ever told anybody about her grief and that in order to keep it at bay she has never been idle. For the last day she's been idle, she most likely only grieved for a short time before she pushed it from her mind." Legolas whispered brushing a stray strand of Fainu's hair from her face.  
  
Fainu slowly opened her eyes, she could smell Legolas and Elanor but there was another scent. She knew that it wasn't Aronon or she would have woken up faster but it who ever it was, was defiantly related to both so perhaps it was the other brother. She didn't know much about him, just his face.  
  
"I'm glad to see you've woken up Princess Fainu." Malminya said looking from his brother to the dark elf.  
  
"I am no longer a princess, not that I ever was one." Fainu said, knowing that this was the second brother.  
  
"I see." Malminya looked to Elanor who was smiling happily now that her friend had awoken. "I assume that you know me already?"  
  
"I know who you are by face only. I do not know your name; your brother has a habit of not telling me names." Fainu said calmly glancing to Legolas who bowed his head. He didn't think of telling her names of his older brother.  
  
"I'm Malminya, the middle child of the three sons of Thranduil." Malminya nodded before he stood. "Be careful, my little brother did something rather foolish, Aronon may try something." With that the second prince slipped out of the room.  
  
Aronon scowled and moved to the side, before he grabbed his younger brother and slammed him against the wall. "How dare you judge me like that?" Aronon hissed, darkness swirling in his heart.  
  
"I judge you like that because you have changed my brother. And it has not been for the better Aronon." Malminya answered coolly pulling himself free of his brother's grip. "And I shall continue to judge you like this until you prove otherwise." With that he walked away, he did not glance back, knowing that if Aronon tried anything he would immediately be accused of it.  
  
Legolas heard the thud against the wall and grabbed the dagger Malminya had given him; Fainu pushed Elanor back knowing that the servant would only be in danger if she stayed in the open. "Don't you dare fight Fainu; you are in no shape yet." Legolas pressed a hand on her shoulder laying her back down.  
  
"I will be up tomorrow, if I do end up fighting now it shall not harm me that much." Fainu whispered back. Legolas glanced back at her and nodded waiting for Aronon to enter.  
  
"Aronon is gone, as is your other brother." Fainu said. "I heard two different footsteps, one I know was Aronon the other I think was Malminya."  
  
The three elves stayed still for a moment longer then relaxed. Legolas looked at the two women, "Elanor, you should probably leave now. Make sure that your home is sealed well when you go to sleep. I do not know if he will attack you but he may. Fainu, I am staying here the night."  
  
"I don't think your father will be all that pleased if you stay here." Fainu said looking Legolas in the eye.  
  
"I realize that but if Aronon thinks that he can attack you and deal enough damage he will. He has always been like that but it seems to have grown worse as of late. Malminya trusted him before, now my brother doesn't trust Aronon." Legolas could see that Fainu didn't like the thought of having him that near her but the choice had not been made by her but by what ever was twisting his brother's heart.  
  
"All right. I am sorry to worry you Elanor; I do wish that you would be safe staying here but Legolas is right. Be careful my friend." Fainu pushed herself up with her arms.  
  
"Please take care of her Prince Legolas." Elanor said softly before standing to go. "I know that if you do not she will herself and then she'll be stuck in that bed longer."  
  
"Don't worry Elanor. I am sure that Legolas will let no harm come to me." Fainu smiled softly at her friend as the servant slipped out the door nodding.  
  
Legolas smiled sadly at Fainu, as she shifted in the bed again. "You don't like me very much do you?"  
  
Fainu looked at the blond prince before bowing her head. "I am confused by you. At times don't like you, but most of the time I am confused. All of my senses tell me that you are good, and will do me no harm. But my heart says no, that you will hurt me."  
  
Legolas nodded before going to the window and looking out at the gardens beyond. "I am sorry that I cause you such turmoil."  
  
"It is all right Legolas. You are not to be blamed, how were we to know that our paths would cross?" Fainu said softly looking at Legolas, she could see that he felt bad for even being near her and she regretted what she had said. "Come sit Legolas, I know that you are beating yourself up over what I just said and it is not worth it." She patted the space on the bed that Elanor normal occupied when she was visiting with the bed-ridden elf.  
  
Legolas looked at the bed, he knew that she was right; slowly he went over to it and sat down. He didn't dare do anything more though, he wasn't going to lie on the bed he wasn't even sure that he could look at her because he felt that awful about making the younger elf feel like she was.  
  
Fainu lowered her eyes; the prince looked a lot younger than what he truly was. He looked like a small hurt child, unsure of what to do. She didn't know why, but she leaned over and wrapped her arms around him and whispered softly in dark elvish, the way she had with Nurefwina when her niece had needed comfort.  
  
Legolas stiffened, shocked by the position he was in, he had not thought that he would ever be hugged by the dark elf, even if it was for comforting rather than love. Slowly he wrapped his arms around the slender waist, content that he was being held by the elf that he had fallen in love with. He could feel Fainu running her fingers through his hair, pulling the few tangles down, he prayed that she quit or he may go further than they both were ready for. As if she knew what he was thinking she pushed him back and looked into his eyes. He nodded knowing that she was silently telling him that what she had just done was not because she loved him, but because she felt bad about telling him what she had. "Don't worry." He whispered as he sat up fully letting go of Fainu.  
  
Fainu smiled softly and shut her eyes for a second. "What are we going to do for supper?"  
  
Legolas shook his head. "My servants should come and find me soon. Then they'll bring us something to eat. Remember we planned supper together so that you wouldn't be alone?"  
  
"I remember." Fainu smirked. "Though I am getting hungry, I haven't eaten much today."  
  
"So I've heard." Legolas said. "Don't worry they will come soon." Legolas shifted so that he could lean back against the headboard.  
  
Aronon sat on his bed it was late and the moon was high in the sky. He could tell that his brothers and the dark elf were suspicious of him. He didn't care about the dark elf but how could his brothers turn on him? He stood and when to the sliding door that went into his own small garden. Above him he could see the stars twinkling merrily, but he didn't see them, nor did he hear the soft trills of the night birds around him. He heard the voice that had only recently begun to speak to him.  
  
"Aronon, will you come?" The voice was soft and promising not at all like Fainu's or his fathers daunting him telling him that he was not good enough.  
  
"Come where?" He thought absently.  
  
"Come to my home, to where you were meant to lead and command." The voice replied in his heart, it resonated through every part of him.  
  
"I will come if you give me a quick path." Aronon shut his eyes imagining the place were the voice said he would lead he could tell that there would be others like him but somehow he knew that where he was going there would be enough responsibility that he could not possibly lead and command everything by himself.  
  
"Come then and do not fear." The voice answered. Suddenly there was a sharp cry from above him, as a huge beast swooped down towards him. Its hide was black and leathery, and it smelt of rotting flesh and death. Its massive clawed feet dug into the marble stone that made up the wall of his garden. Its gruesome head bent down, its sharp yellow teeth glistening in the moonlight. Aronon ran a hand over its head, looking it in the eye, the red burning orbs looked right back before the Crown prince of Mirkwood went to the wall and scaled it before climbing onto the beasts back. Another call came from the hideous beast; it flapped its nearly translucent wings and rose into the air. Aronon looked down at his father's kingdom; he could see lights going on quickly before the kingdom quickly disappeared. Suddenly he knew where he was going to rule, and he should have despaired but he was no longer thinking straight.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
So what does everybody think? Getting tired of writing. Perhaps it will pass when get the Two Towers DVD.It just got out of our theater and already I'm craving it.maybe forced to return pointy stick to Kara J in order to motivate self enough to continue writing until release date of Two Towers DVD. 


	12. Legolas' Party

Chapter 12  
  
Legolas woke with as start as arms wrapped around him tightly. He looked down at Fainu who seemed to be half asleep and trembling, at first he thought she was dreaming he was Kallieere until he heard the high shriek. His eyes went wide. He remembered that sound well; it was one of the winged beasts that the Nazgul had ridden in the war of the Rings. Fainu pressed against him even more, whimpering in dark elvish, snapping him out of his fear.  
  
"Fainu it's all right." He hesitated at first then wrapped his arms around her rubbing her back in small circles trying to sooth away the fear that was clearly evident in voice and eyes. Fainu shut her eyes and seemed to struggle against her fear for a second then opened her eyes. They were fully focused and they fixed on him and then at the way they were positioned, her face flushed and she pushed away from him.  
  
"Why are-" Fainu asked as she sat up fully, only to be cut off by another screech. Their eyes locked, Fainu trembled, but she didn't do anything else. Legolas sat frozen, both had heard another voice, and both prayed that it was not true. Legolas could hear great wings thrashing the air as the beast flew out of his hearing range. He looked at Fainu she was still frozen, her eyes slightly glazed over but moments later she too came back from her trance. Legolas looked at the dark elf carefully.  
  
"You know what that was, don't you?" He asked softly.  
  
"Yes." Fainu said her voice so soft that Legolas was sure that if he were not an elf he would not have heard her answer. She trembled slightly then leaned against him wanting to be held tightly. Legolas moved his arms so that they held the elf in his arms tightly; somehow he knew that she needed the comfort. She rested her head on his chest, as he rubbed her back, "I learnt of them when the hunting party that I was in got trapped outside overnight. It seemed to be after Itheal and me but it missed us and caught an orc and flew away." She didn't know why she found comfort in Legolas' arms, perhaps it was because she was thinking he was Kallieere but she knew, she knew that she was in Legolas' arms and she still found it as a comfort.  
  
"Legolas-" Malminya said as he rushed into the room. His eyes locked on the two elves, he narrowed his eyes. "Does father know how you feel about her?" He asked finally. He was not angry at either elf, he wasn't sure though that they were right for each other.  
  
"I don't think so." Legolas said softly, he and Fainu though didn't pull apart. They both knew that the embrace was for comfort and not for love. "Besides Malminya, we are simply friends." That is all she'll ever be I think, she doesn't want love not from me anyways. He added silently with his eyes.  
  
Fainu slowly sat up, "Legolas was comforting me. The cries reminded me of a battle that I was in many years ago." She said calmly looking at Malminya.  
  
"I see, you should know though that if you do go much further father will not be pleased." Malminya looked directly into his little brothers eyes. "She is too young Legolas, even if she is considered mature by her people's standards." Legolas glared at him, but made a slight nod, Fainu look like she was about to harm him for calling her a child. Fainu glared at him until he left the room, before she turned and looked at Legolas, he had a sad look to him.  
  
"Are you all right Legolas?" She asked softly.  
  
"I am fine." Legolas lied; somehow it broke his heart that she didn't show him any kind of emotion.  
  
Elanor rushed into the room early the next morning to find Legolas and Fainu fast asleep, Fainu was curled slightly near the prince and Legolas himself had turned towards her and had and arm around her. She smiled slightly, before going to the prince and awakening him.  
  
Legolas blinked his eyes a couple of times before they returned to normal, he had had a strange dream, and he had been. He froze.  
  
Elanor giggled slightly, "I woke you first because I thought that you would take finding yourself in this position a bit better than she would."  
  
Legolas slowly moved his arm that was around Fainu. The dark elf mumbled something before she opened her eyes, "What the?"  
  
"Good morning Fainu. King Thranduil wishes an audience with the both of you. Malminya is already with him, he is grieving terribly." Elanor quickly took Legolas' hand from Fainu's side and pulled the elf up. "Could you go Legolas? Unless you care to watch her change." Elanor said laughing slightly causing Fainu and Legolas to frown at her then at each other.  
  
"I'll wait for you outside of your room." Legolas said spinning on his heel and leaving quickly.  
  
"Elanor, as much as you are my friend don't joke about him watching me change thank you." The dark elf glared at the servant who had busied herself at the closet pulling out dresses and looking from them to Fainu.  
  
"Sorry, it was done as a joke. I shall not do it again." Elanor frowned and moved over to her with a long pale pink dress.  
  
"Thank you." Fainu said absently knowing that she was going to end up wearing a dress whether or not she wanted to. Elanor helped the dark elf into the dress and then began doing up the long silk ties in the back. Fainu tugged on the dresses front. "Why must I always wear dresses? I am not a princess." She said looking at herself in the mirror as Elanor laughed at her antics while she began to do her hair quickly.  
  
"You are considered a princess here, so you should at least look the part if not act it." She answered, pulling the comb through the rest of the dark tresses smoothing them before she patted Fainu on the shoulder.  
  
"But I can act the part in pants and a shirt. Besides I prefer pants, I dislike long flowing dresses." Fainu said rolling her eyes and standing up and going to the door. Legolas glanced back as she quickly left the room.  
  
"I'm glad to see that your hip is better." He said calmly, she looked absolutely gorgeous.  
  
"Thank you." She said glancing down, as he offered her his hand. With that the two elves walked the halls they had before and they silently glided down the stairs. King Thranduil glanced up and smiled slightly at the two, he was sure that they were in love.  
  
The two bowed slightly and looked up at the king. The two pairs of eyes locked on him, they could tell that he was grieving but they did not know why. "Father?" Legolas slowly went to his father's side.  
  
"Do you know what happened last night?" Thranduil asked softly.  
  
"Not everything, but we have a good idea." Legolas answered.  
  
"Last night Aronon was taken by that beast." Thranduil answered. "Malminya knows that he is to become the crown prince."  
  
Fainu stood in shock; she had not thought that it had been his voice that she had heard. "I am sorry." She whispered.  
  
"It is alright child. You could do nothing but thank you for your sympathy." Thranduil beckoned her to come closer. She stepped closer and the king gently took her hand. "I know that you have a special power. Make sure that you take care of those that you love first." With that he released her. Fainu looked deep into his eyes, they were deeper than anything that she had ever seen, they held wisdom and understanding. She straightened and nodded. "Go comfort Legolas. He loved his brother dearly."  
  
Fainu turned glanced to see Legolas on the balcony of the court; she quickly went out to him and put a hand on his back. "I am sorry Legolas."  
  
"He went willingly I know it. He had changed since I left to find the dark elves." Legolas answered refusing to look at Fainu.  
  
Fainu refuse to acknowledge the fact that she knew that he hadn't been forced by any means, she had heard the call to him, she was sure of it.  
  
----------------------  
  
Years later: Fainu slowly fell in love with Legolas but refused to admit it to anyone. Legolas remained in love with her but began to settle for only being friends.  
  
----------------------  
  
Fainu stood looking out over the balcony it was Legolas birthday and inside the palace, all of the elves in Mirkwood were celebrating. She still didn't feel completely welcome in King Thranduils courts but she had gone to the party for a short while before quietly slipping out the glass doors to stand on the balcony. She glanced back behind her, Legolas was dancing with yet another pretty elf from his kingdom, he had known that she had come to the party out of duty, but somehow seeing him dancing with all of the beautiful Mirkwood elves made her slightly jealous. She hadn't wanted to see anymore of it but every once in awhile she would catch his happy laughter and she would glance back, she shook her head she shouldn't have cared. And she hated how pathetic she was being, she smirked and moved away from the sight of the guests and slipped over the railing and scaled sown the trellis, she was grateful that when she was little she had been forced to wear a dress so it was not as difficult to do it now in the formal gown that Elanor had told her to wear. She jumped the last foot, landing softly in the garden that was walled with high trees and marble walls. She made her way over to the carved bench that was on the far side of the garden, she couldn't see in the courts anymore so she wasn't as jealous of the Mirkwood elf that was dancing with Legolas.  
  
Malminya glanced to the balcony, he had noticed that Fainu had gone outside about ten minutes ago, but she had not come back in. He was sure of it, and now she was no longer on the balcony. He excused himself from the elf that he was dancing with and went to the door and stepped out, he could hear faint murmurs of a song, though he did not understand the words. He went to the rail and saw Fainu sitting on the bench staring up at the moon singing softly in dark elvish. He glanced to the side and saw the trellis "Fainu? Would you like some company?"  
  
The dark elf jumped slightly and looked at Malminya. "If you wish to join me you may." She called and went back to staring at the moon, but she did not resume her song.  
  
Malminya sighed and went to the trellis knowing that he would take forever if he went back through the courts, once he was half way down though he jumped and walked over to her sand sat on the bench beside her. "Why are you out here? There are still plenty of things left to do at the party. And you have not even asked Legolas to dance with you yet."  
  
"I like it out here, and Legolas would not want to dance with me. He has plenty of other elves here to chose from." She said softly.  
  
"He does want to dance with you." Malminya said softly. "Besides you haven't given him a gift."  
  
Fainu laughed. "I have no gift for him, besides it would most likely have been paid for by him if I did get him one."  
  
"I don't think you understand fully. Legolas doesn't want anything that you can buy for him." Malminya said calmly. "He loves you and he only wants you to be happy."  
  
Fainu looked down at the flowing dress that she was wearing. "So what do you suggest Malminya since you are so sure that he wants me to be happy?"  
  
Malminya leaned over and whispered softly in her ear. He sat back and looked at her as she nodded. She would be able to do what he had said, his father knew that she was already to have been wed so what he had suggested was not beyond what her age would allow. Even if he thought that she was a child his father didn't think of her as one. "So?"  
  
"If you are sure." She said softly. "It does not bother me."  
  
"Good then will you come back to the ball with me? Perhaps we can dance." Malminya said standing and offered her his hand. The dark elf took the offered arm and stood up. "We won't be going back the same way we left though. I don't want to know how you got down from the balcony in that dress without even dirtying it."  
  
"I escaped from my room many times in the Dark Elf realms when I was young and forced to wear dresses." She answered. "I also snuck back in many times, but if you insist then I won't climb up the trellis."  
  
Malminya smirked he could see why his brother was in love with this elf, she was both the elegant regal princess that was suiting to his position of power and she was playful. Almost like a human girl, but he knew that she was not one. She had not changed at all in the last few years, and he did not think that she would change again; she had probably reached full maturity for a dark elf.  
  
Fainu hesitated slightly, Malminya noticed immediately. "You need not worry Fainu. Personally I think that my brother will turn green if he sees me dancing with you."  
  
"Or he will simply think that I am in love with you." She answered softly.  
  
"I doubt that. He knows that I have no such interest in you. You are his in my mind and fathers mind." Malminya said calmly and pulled her forwards again as he pushed open the grand door, they quietly slipped where Thranduil was and waited for the song to finish.  
  
"Good evening Fainu. I didn't see you or Malminya leave." Thranduil said glancing up at the elf that he was sure would become his daughter.  
  
"No you wouldn't have I made sure that none saw me leave." Fainu said softly. "I was out in the gardens until Malminya came and brought me back here."  
  
"Are you not enjoying yourself young one?" Thranduil asked.  
  
"I am. I just wanted a bit of peace for a moment." Fainu answered though she knew that she was lying, even now she was jealous of the elves twirling about Legolas in their rich dresses. Each one trying to catch him as their own, she was grateful that Malminya had told her that he wanted only her or the scene before her would have been unbearable. The song ended, and Malminya offered Fainu his hand and the two glided onto the dance floor.  
  
Legolas looked at Fainu, he wanted to cut in but yet another elf maiden had asked him to dance. He slowly danced his way to his brother and Fainu, Fainu was looking directly into Malminya's eyes and she was whispering softly to him. He felt his heart go up to his throat, had he lost his beloved Dark elf to his brother? He had never even felt so sick from seeing her with his brother; perhaps he hadn't been looking for it before. He knew that the song was ending soon; he would confront Fainu then perhaps. He bowed slightly to his partner as the song ended as had Fainu and Malminya so at least he wouldn't have to cut in to talk to her. "Care to dance Fainu?"  
  
Fainu looked at Legolas, and nodded, faintly she heard whispers about her and the youngest prince. She lowered her head slightly.  
  
"So what is going on with you and my brother?" Legolas spat out, he hadn't meant to say it like that but it had come out that way.  
  
Fainu jerked her head up. "Nothing is happening between me and Malminya. She answered her eyes wide." She could see the confusion and betrayal in the youngest princes eyes. "He brought me back here, offered to dance with me."  
  
"You left? Why?" Legolas frowned but felt slightly better.  
  
"You would think of me as a fool if I told you." Fainu whispered.  
  
"I want to know Fainu." Legolas said as firmly as he could in a whisper. Fainu hung her head again.  
  
"I-I was jealous." She said glancing down at the floor.  
  
"Jealous? What do you have to be jealous of? You have my brother don't you?" Legolas whispered it hurt that she wouldn't meet his gaze.  
  
"I was jealous of all the elves that were dancing with you. And I all ready told you that I am not in love with you brother." Fainu said as she seriously thought for bolting for the door.  
  
"You were jealous of all the other women that I was dancing with?" Legolas felt a sudden wave of relief when she nodded; he had not thought that Fainu would ever admit to having any feelings at all.  
  
"Malminya also gave me an idea for what to give you for a present." Fainu whispered.  
  
"Did he? Can I have it now since I have received all of my other gifts?" Legolas didn't know what Malminya had suggested but he was sure that he would be given another weapon of sorts. He'd all ready been given more swords and daggers than what he knew to do with.  
  
"No you can't you'll get it later." Fainu said finally looking up.  
  
"Later?" Legolas was suddenly confused; he didn't have the slightest idea of what she was going to give him anymore.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
La la la la la! Well Lady T. you needn't wait much longer. *Evil grin as RD looks at Fainu and Legolas* 


	13. Proclaiming of the Child

Chapter 13  
  
~ ~ ~ == dreamscape thingy. (You'll understand when you get there)  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Legolas glanced over the crowd, Fainu sat at a table with Elrond and Glorfindel who both seemed to like her and accept her. He was glad that Galadriel and Celeborn had informed his father that they would not be able to make it to the ball; he shuddered involuntarily at the image of Fainu after he had let Galadriel drain her magic. Fainu looked over to him; she frowned slightly as if she had sensed a change in him. He smiled softly, as he ate the rich foods that had been prepared, he had told Elrond of Fainu's reactions to certain foods and the Elven healer had brought a special potion for her to drink. He had finally gotten her to take a sip of his wine, which proved to be humorous. The party was winding down and most of the guests had left to rest, Fainu stood up carefully and nodded towards Legolas. The youngest prince frowned slightly he had not gotten any gift from her the entire night; he finished his food before he dismissed himself.  
  
Fainu silently slipped through the hallway to Legolas' room, she had learnt a lot about the palace and the entire society of the Sindarin elves. She arrived just I time to see Legolas slipping into his room, he seemed slightly disappointed. She went to his door and hesitated, before she tapped on it lightly.  
  
Legolas frowned; he didn't know anyone that would come to his room at this hour. He opened the door and looked at Fainu who stood biting her bottom lip.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I told you that I would give you your present later. Did you think that I would forget?" Fainu whispered before she moved closer to him. "Malminya told me that you love me still even after all these years."  
  
"That is true though I am willing to only be your friend if that is what you want. Is it?" Legolas looked down at the young woman before him.  
  
Fainu smiled slightly before she leaned forwards, Legolas stood frozen, fearing that this was a dream and that if he moved that the dream would end and he would find himself lying in his bed. Suddenly he felt soft lips brush against his; he reached out and gently wrapped an arm around Fainu. She broke the kiss and looked up at him, her pale eyes fixed on his judging his reaction.  
  
"That was the best present I've ever gotten." Legolas whispered and leaned in to catch Fainu's mouth again. He wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her against him as he deepened the kiss.  
  
Malminya silently came around the corner, and watched for a couple seconds before he made them aware of his presence.  
  
Legolas and Fainu broke the kiss immediately, when Legolas saw who it was he scowled slightly. Malminya was the one who had set this thing up and now he was interrupting. He let go of Fainu with one hand and opened his bedroom door and guided Fainu in before shutting the door again.  
  
Malminya raised an eyebrow at his brother's antics, he had suggested that Fainu give his brother a kiss but he hadn't thought that she would allow his brother to go as far as he had seen them. He shook his head and went to his room that was further down the hall silently praying that they wouldn't go too far.  
  
Legolas gently stroked Fainu's cheek, "Why did you go through with my brother's idea?" He asked softly, knowing that the woman in his arms had to feel something for him or she would not have allowed him to kiss her the second time.  
  
"I went through with it because I," Fainu hesitated slightly when Legolas brushed her ear lightly, sending shivers of pleasure through her entire being. "I love you." She said when she finally gained full control of herself again.  
  
Legolas thought that he was going to burst; he smiled down happily at Fainu who had leaned against him her head resting lightly on his shoulder. He looked outside it was late and he could tell that Fainu was tired. Slowly he scoped her up and carried her to his bed, he laid her down. He stepped back and looked at Fainu; her hair had fanned out framing her face making her look even paler. She was still awake slightly her eyes had all but shut, suddenly it struck him that the potion might not have worked and that she was ill from the wine and foods that they had fed her. He knelt beside his bed and ran a hand over her pale face; she smiled at him and moved her hand up catching his. "Are you all right?" He asked leaning forwards kissing her gently tasting the sweet lips.  
  
"I am fine Legolas, just tired." She whispered as he leaned away. She opened her eyes fully and looked closely at him. "You need not worry Legolas, the potion worked or I would have gotten sick long ago when I first ate the food." She released his hand and gently touched his face. Legolas nodded still worrying about how pale she looked, he caught the hand on her face and moved it and gently kissed it before he stood and took of the delicate shoes before he covered her with the silken sheets on his bed before he himself laid down on the far side of the bed and fell asleep. Fainu looked at Legolas, before she too fell asleep.  
  
Elanor opened the door to Fainu's room and was struck with sudden terror; her lady was not in bed. She went to the washing room to find that she wasn't there either. She bit her lip, and went to find Legolas; surely he would know where Fainu was. She knocked on the carved door and waited for a response. When one did not come she knocked again before she cracked the door open slightly and looked in to see Legolas sleeping. She knocked louder causing the prince to stir slightly before mumbling to come in. She breathed a sigh of relief he hadn't been mad at her. She slipped in and hurried to the bed only to find Fainu curled against Legolas' chest again except this time both elves seemed to press against each other as if both longed for the touch. She quickly moved to Legolas and touched his arm gently; the Elven prince slowly woke and glanced up at Elanor.  
  
"What is it Elanor?" He asked turning his attention back to Fainu who moved even closer to him.  
  
"Lady Fainu?" Elanor asked in shock looking at the scene before her, as if Fainu knew that she was being talked about she woke up she blinked a couple times as if getting her bearings and figuring out exactly what she had done before she shut her eyes again and pressed her head against Legolas' chest. When the dark elf did not start and push away from the youngest prince she almost panicked. "Are you alright Fainu?" She said racing over to the other side of the bed. Elanor gently tried to move Legolas' arms to extract the dark elf only to have the prince tighten his grip on Fainu.  
  
"She is perfectly content Elanor. Don't worry." Legolas looked at the servant meaningfully.  
  
"What kind of potion did you give her?" Elanor asked glaring at prince.  
  
"He gave me a potion so that I could eat and drink the same type of foods as every other elf." Fainu mumbled finally pushing away from the warm embrace that she had woken up in.  
  
"You mean you don't have to get the chefs to make you special food anymore?" Elanor's eyes went wide. "They will be so happy; they have wanted to give her other food for so long because they feared that they were getting repetitive with their meals."  
  
"That is good, I'm glad that I'm not the only one that is happy by her new tolerances to food." Legolas sat up slowly, his ornamental robes were creased from being slept in and the circlet that he wore was tipped on an angle. Fainu laughed slightly and gently took the circlet off of his head.  
  
"What are we going to do?" She asked in a faint whisper. "I can already tell that Malminya thinks that we may have gone a lot farther than we did."  
  
"I am going to tell my father that I have finally captured the heart that I have sought for so long. He already knows that I was in love with you, it will not come as a shock to him." Legolas smiled and stood before Elanor pulled Fainu to her feet.  
  
"You are in love with him finally?" She asked putting her hands on her hips and half glaring half smiling at the dark elf.  
  
"I am. Though before we go to your father Legolas perhaps we should change into something else?" She carefully put her hand on Elanor's shoulder as she steadied herself.  
  
Legolas caught the wobble from the usually graceful elf, he narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you all right?" He moved towards his beloved.  
  
"I don't know." Fainu pressed her hand against her forehead. "When I stood up I felt dizzy suddenly. Perhaps the potion is still trying to do something and it is just a slight affect of it."  
  
"I believe that Lord Elrond is still here. Go change quickly, I'll meet you at your room and then we'll seek him for answers." Legolas quickly went to the large closet and pulled out his normal clothing and went to the washing room and changed himself quickly.  
  
Elanor and Fainu quickly made their way back to her room, fortunately there were very few guests that were wandering the halls, but Lord Elrond was and he spotted the dark elf easily. He could see that she wasn't well and he went to her quickly.  
  
"Are you all right?" He asked as her strode over to her purposefully.  
  
"I don't know what is wrong with me." She answered stopping and letting the Elven Lord press his hand against her forehead. He frowned and slid his hand down to her throat to feel her pulse; it was slightly slower than it should have been.  
  
"She shouldn't be on her feet her pulse is weak." He said and lifted her in his arms.  
  
Legolas raced down the hall to where Fainu's room was, he was worried about her and he trusted his instincts. He rounded a corner to see Lord Elrond carrying Fainu to her room. He ran even faster ignoring the stares that he was getting from the few guests that were in the hallways. Elanor glanced over her shoulder to see him coming, she turned back to Lord Elrond who glanced back but kept going. Fainu wasn't going to get better by simply standing with her in his or Legolas' arms. Elanor opened the door and waited for the older elf to enter, Legolas caught up and looked at Fainu, she was laying on the bed Elrond gently running his hand over her.  
  
"Do you have any idea of what may be causing this?" Elrond asked as he smelt her breath, it didn't smell of wine nor of anything that he knew of that would cause an elf to fall sick.  
  
"We thought that this was an after affect of the potion that you gave her." Legolas said moving to Fainu's side.  
  
"The potion that I made has never had any side affects but she is a dark elf it could do something like that for a short while." He said after he thought out the exact recipe and ingredients that he had used.  
  
"So it could be that?" Legolas asked holding Fainu's hand between both of his.  
  
"It could be, but I doubt it." Elrond said calmly standing up. "Both of you please leave I'm going to check her even better." He said looking at Legolas, before shooing the Mirkwood prince and the servant out of the room. He turned back to Fainu and sighed, he didn't think that she had done anything to get herself the way she was so he would have to check. "I'm going to check you over completely." Elrond said looking her in the eye.  
  
Fainu knew exactly what he meant, he thought that she was pregnant and he was going to find out for sure. She knew that she wasn't though; she had never done anything like that yet though she was sure that it wouldn't be long before she did. She shut her eyes as Elrond gently pressed against her abdomen, his frown deepened, she was not with child. Somehow that scared him almost as much as it comforted him; she was too young to care properly for the child even if she did have Legolas to help her it was always more taxing on the mother. But he did not know what was ailing her and that scared him, Fainu opened her eyes and looked up at him. Her head was throbbing and she didn't think that she was going to stay conscious much longer.  
  
"My head it-."  
  
Elrond watched as she slipped into unconsciousness, he pressed his hand against her forehead; it was normal which shocked him all the more. He went to the door and opened it, before quickly going back to Fainu. Legolas raced in and froze when he saw Fainu. "I'm going to try to see what she is feeling, when I finish I don't know how strong I'll be." With that he put his hand on her forehead again and put his other over her heart, he softly whispered in Quenyan before he slumped over slightly.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Elrond looked around, he didn't know where he was but it frightened him terribly. Fire and smoke rose in the air, choking all life. He could see 12 faint silhouettes in the distance, he slowly went towards them.  
  
Fainu suddenly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his arm. He started at first; he did not recognize her, for she was dressed in pure black except for red embroidery that ran around the cuff of her sleeves. It was the ancient tongue of the Valar, which protected only the Gods. "Don't go over there. Why are you here? Go to Valinor it is the only safe place now." She hissed. She pushed him away and disappeared into the smoke, as she went to the twelve herself. Elrond followed her, what he was seeing was terrifying him, if this was where he though he was then that meant. He could not bring himself to finish that thought. He felt the smoke getting thicker as if it were trying to keep him from penetrating any further but he somehow kept going. Finally he broke free of the smoke to see the new Dark Lord sitting behind and fire while the thirteen that were his commanders stood close to him. He gasped as he recognized not one but two of the elves that were standing with their backs to him.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Elrond fell back as the spell broke, he held his head, he couldn't believe what he had just seen. "We have to see your father." Elrond mumbled rubbing his temples, Fainu was semi-conscious and was almost sobbing in dark elvish.  
  
Legolas leaned close to her, struggling to catch all of her words, she had taught him Dark elvish as he had taught her Quenyan. He frowned as he translated what she was saying; he looked to Elrond who was still trying to regain all of his composure. "What did you see?"  
  
"Do you know what she is?" Elrond asked looking at the younger elf.  
  
"She is a dark elf." Legolas said frowning, looking at the Lord of Rivendell.  
  
"She is part dark elf." Elrond said standing up and going to the bed to bring Fainu back to full consciousness.  
  
"Part dark elf? Then what else is she?" Legolas asked moving closer looking closely at the woman that he was in love with looking for a clue of what she was.  
  
"I think it would be better to inform your father at the same time." Elrond said before he concentrated on Fainu.  
  
Fainu looked up at the Elven Lord, a confused look in her eyes, she had seen him in one of the visions that she had every once in a while. He put his hand back on her throat, her pulse had gone back up but still wasn't back to what it normally was. "Legolas pick her up. We don't need her going into another vision like that while we're in the presence of your father."  
  
Elanor frowned. "At least let me help her change into something else." The servants said and went to the closet pulling out leggings and a loose silk shirt.  
  
Elrond frowned but realized that having the woman that Legolas was in love with wear the same dress for two days was not appropriate. "We will wait for you to finish changing her then come get Legolas to help her to his fathers courts.  
  
Elanor nodded and quickly went about changing Fainu who stubbornly decided that she was going to dress herself rather than let Elanor change her.  
  
"I am not helpless Elanor. I shall change myself." Fainu said sitting up taking the shirt from her and sliding over her head.  
  
"But Fainu, you are not well, you should not be doing this." Elanor said as she struggled against Fainu.  
  
"When I was still in my fathers realms I did a lot more than I should have there. And I will continue to do so here." Fainu said forcing herself to her feet ignoring the dizziness that threatened to drop her to her knees.  
  
Elanor finally relented and gave her the pants; she stayed near Fainu in case she began to collapse. Fainu tightened the belt and turned towards the door, Elanor raced after the dark elf.  
  
"Fainu! Elrond doesn't want you on your feet! You aren't well!" She said as Fainu opened the door to be grabbed by Legolas and lifted up. Fainu gave him a halfhearted scowl, she didn't want to be carried but she did not mind the closeness with the prince.  
  
"Did you truly think that you would get away walking everywhere? You are not well." Legolas scolded her softly.  
  
"So I've been told." Fainu mumbled struggling slightly against Legolas' strong arms.  
  
"Fainu, it is very serious when an elf gets sick. It doesn't happen often unless they have been given something that would cause them to slowly die." Elrond said seriously. "And considering who your father is you should be extremely hard to kill."  
  
Legolas looked at Fainu who froze in his arms. She looked at Elrond hard.  
  
"What did you say?" She asked not wanting what she had somehow always known to be confirmed.  
  
"You should be almost impossible to kill because of your blood line." Elrond refused to say anymore until they were in the presence of King Thranduil.  
  
Thranduil frowned at the sight of Legolas carrying Fainu, what worried him all the more was Fainu was in his courts with pants and a shirt. Something that she had only done once before and that was when she had first come, after that she had never worn anything except a dress in his courts while they were open. The other thing that worried him was the way Lord Elrond followed them closely. "What has happened?" He asked as the group stopped before him.  
  
"Fainu's true blood line has discovered." Elrond said calmly.  
  
"Her true blood line? Is she not the daughter of the ruler of the dark realm?" Thranduil asked frowning at the dark elf.  
  
"No she is not his daughter. She is the daughter of one considered far more powerful." Elrond said softly. "Some one far more frightening."  
  
"Please elaborate then Lord Elrond I am in no mood to guess who her father is." Thranduil said waving his hand impatiently.  
  
"The Dark Lord Devorque is her father." Elrond whispered so that only the King and his sons could hear.  
  
Legolas knew what he had just heard but that would mean that the woman he loved was sworn to be his enemy if the prophecy were true she would become the Dark Lord's First in Command only second to the Dark Lord himself in authority and power.  
  
"I see." Thranduil said looking at Fainu closely. "We will have to do something about this matter."  
  
Fainu met King Thranduil's gaze, somehow she did not feel that she would escape what was to come. She knew the prophecy as well as anyone else, the child of the Dark Lord had been proclaimed, soon the minions of the Dark Lord would come for her, and not even Galadriel and the fabled Three would be able to keep her from her fathers hand.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Yes.We have set a major crisis upon Leggy-Luu-Luu haven't we now? Enjoyed? Hated? Feed back rewarded with more story.  
  
Author Babble:  
  
RD: Kara J! I need an idea for what Thranduil should do to Fainu to attempt to kill her.  
  
Kara J: Why isn't she dead yet?  
  
RD: Because if I killed her before there would be no story and I'm quite sure that you would have people running after you with v. pointy sticks.  
  
Fainu: No kidding. I would prefer to play dead at least with some flair.  
  
Kara J: Stupid elves.  
  
RD and all the elves: Shut up!  
  
Kara J: (Glare) Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.  
  
Galadhrim: (Raise bows, arrows drawn back)  
  
Aragorn: Naur pilind! (Fire Arrows)  
  
Kara J runs from a hail of arrows. 


	14. Silenced

Chapter 14  
  
'' == Telepathy type stuff. ^_^;  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Thranduil stood "My courts are dismissed for the day." Fainu trembled in Legolas' arms, he had not put her down and she already knew that if she bolted then she would fall before she reached to edge of Mirkwood. The elves in the room whispered in shock but left slowly. Once all of the elves had left he sat down again and looked at Fainu, "You know how serious this is, don't you?"  
  
Fainu nodded. Legolas finally set her down recovering from the shock of what had just happened. "What are you going to do father?" Legolas asked keeping a hand on Fainu's arm.  
  
"I don't know." Thranduil rubbed his temples; he enjoyed the company of Fainu. He did not want to kill her but he couldn't think of anything else to do, she was after all the daughter of the Dark Lord. "Guards, take her to a cell."  
  
Legolas tightened his grip on her. "What are you doing father, she can not help who her father is." Legolas hissed.  
  
"I know but the prophecy must be stopped if it can be." Thranduil said softly. "I will not have her killed yet, that is undecided yet."  
  
Two guards came over to the youngest prince and gently took her from him; she did not struggle at all she glanced to Legolas quickly before the door shut behind her.  
  
"Father please, she will-."  
  
"She will what Legolas?" Thranduil asked looking at his son. "Try to escape? Destroy all of Middle Earth?"  
  
Legolas lowered his eyes, he knew the prophecy as well, and it was why the elves had returned. If the prophecy was not stopped then even Valinor would not be safe. "Forgive me father." With that he walked away. Elanor followed the prince; she too did not believe that Fainu was capable of destroying Middle Earth.  
  
"Legolas I don't think that Fainu will follow through with her fathers plans. I think that when she met you the prophecy was stopped. She loves you, and trusts you and your family." Elanor said softly.  
  
"I know, but there is nothing that I can do, the prophecy is still going, she has been proclaimed as the child of the Dark Lord." Legolas sank down onto a nearby bench. "And I don't think that imprisoning her is going to give her a reason to stay."  
  
"She'll stay, she loves you Legolas, I can see it in her eyes every time that you get near her lately." Elanor stood in front of the prince for a moment before she rushed of towards the dungeons at the far end of the palace.  
  
Fainu sat in the dark room, her eyes easily making out the walls, she was glad that it was nothing like the room that Galadriel had put her in years ago. She walked around slowly, her hand running over the smooth stone. She sighed knowing that sooner or later Legolas would talk his father into letting her out of this tiny cage.  
  
'I can get you out now.' The voice hand returned, but it was not harsh or demanding, it was soft and gentle.  
  
"Shut up!" Fainu shouted into the cell.  
  
'You need not shout little one.' The voice almost whispered. Fainu pressed her hands to her ears trying to keep the voice silent. "Leave me alone." She silently pleaded to the empty cell.  
Elanor pulled her hand back from the lock, she had heard Fainu shouting and had run to the cell, but Fainu had said to leave her alone. She waited outside the door listening to see if she had heard right.  
  
"Go away. Leave me alone." Fainu whimpered, the voice was not listening though, it was persisting.  
  
Elanor bowed her head, perhaps Legolas was right, the prophecy had not been stopped yet, perhaps is could not be stopped. She turned and went to find Legolas and tell him that he was right.  
'I can't leave you alone little one. You were meant for great things, not a cell and a slow death.' The voice reasoned.  
  
"No I'm not listening to you. I am not your daughter." She whispered quietly, praying that what she said was true.  
  
'You are my daughter and have always been. You will come home. Do you think that Legolas will want you now that he knows who and what you are?' The voice said slightly harsher as if it was angry that she would not comply with his wishes.  
  
"No." Fainu curled up. "No, no, no." Silent tears ran down her face. The voice was right, how could anybody want her?  
Legolas paled at what Elanor told him. "She asked you to go away and leave her alone?"  
  
Elanor nodded, "Perhaps she was talking to someone in the cell?"  
  
"Were there guards outside the cell? Was there another voice besides hers?" Legolas asked suddenly hopeful that it was true. Elanor shook her head.  
  
"There were no guards, no other voice just her." The servant said softly.  
  
"Then she couldn't be talking to somebody else. Guards would not let someone in the cell and then leave." Legolas put his head in his hands.  
  
"I'm sorry Legolas. I thought that she was truly wouldn't fulfill the prophecy because she loves you." Elanor hung her head and sat down beside him.  
  
"It is not your fault." Legolas sighed. "Tell my father that I will not be joining him for the evening meal. I need some time."  
  
"Understood Prince Legolas." Elanor bowed slightly and went to find King Thranduil and deliver the message.  
  
Legolas watched her go silently from the corner of his eye before he stood and went to his room. When he arrived he found Malminya standing on the far side of his room near the balcony. "What do you want Malminya?"  
  
"Do you really think that she will do as the prophecy says?" The crown prince asked softly glancing towards his younger brother.  
  
"I do not know anymore, she has cut herself off as best she can from Elanor already."  
  
"She has?" Malminya frowned. "I don't think that she will. Perhaps you should go see her."  
  
"Do you really think that she will treat me any differently?" Legolas asked looking at his brother.  
  
"She may. She does love you after all." Malminya said walking over to his brother and grabbing his shoulders. "You of all people should not give up on that. You refused to marry any who father proposed wanting something more."  
  
"I sure chose something more didn't I? A dark elf that is to destroy the entire world." Legolas said forcing his brother to let him go.  
  
"You are giving up on her so easily?" Malminya asked calmly.  
  
"If it spares me from grief than yes." Legolas said. Malminya could see that he was about to break and wrapped his arms around his little brother.  
  
"It may spare you for now, but be careful or your choice may haunt you for all your life." Malminya said softly deciding that telling his brother that he did not deserve Fainu if he was willing to give her up that easily was not wise at that time.  
  
"I will be careful." Legolas said returning the embrace before stepping back, his mask of complete composure back in place.  
  
"I pray that you will. Or your grief will over take you later." Malminya said calmly before walking out.  
  
Legolas watched his brother until the door shut, "You truly think that she isn't going to destroy the world. Why can't I trust in her like that?"  
  
Fainu knew that the voice would leave her alone for a short while now; she hoped that it would anyway. She rubbed the tears from her face, she didn't know what she was going to do, she did not want to fall back on her memories, and she feared that she would die from them without anyone to pull her back from the memories. She sat up and looked towards the door hoping that someone would come and at least talk to her. She waited for a long time, at least she thought that it was a long time, she was losing her sense of time. She stood and began to pace, she knew that the walls were not moving but she felt like they were closing in on her. She put her hand on the wall and continued to pace around the tiny cell, she wanted to escape more than anything else.  
  
'I can get you out of the cell.' The voice said again.  
  
"Leave me alone." Fainu snarled. "I am not going to join you even if it means I rot in this cell."  
  
Malminya paused outside the door after hearing Fainu snarling in the cell. He quickly opened the door and stood in the doorway trying to see her in the gloom of the cell, his eyes went wide, Fainu looked up at him and went towards him. The guards behind him though pushed her back and grabbed her arms, Fainu panicked and jerked against them trying to get free. The guards slammed her hard against the far wall, and twisted her arms so that she was on her knees in a forced bow. Malminya rushed forward and knelt in front of her, "Don't hold her." He ordered the guards and he gently lifted the tear streaked face.  
  
"Malminya." Fainu whimpered as the guards ignored the order and twisted even harder.  
  
"Release her now or I will have you both imprisoned." Malminya growled looking up at the guards. They frowned and released her arms; they grabbed her shoulders when she lunged forward, her arms halfway around his waist. "Release her." The guards looked at the prince closely before complying.  
  
"Is Legolas alright?" Fainu asked as she pressed against him.  
  
"Legolas is worried." Malminya said smoothing out Fainu's hair. "Though I don't know if he is worrying about the right thing."  
  
Fainu wasn't listening to his word fully she was listening to his voice. Malminya could tell that she was shaken from her ordeal. He sat back on his on the floor, not caring about whether or not he was getting dirty he knew that she needed comfort more than anything. He pulled her as close to him as he could get her, and wrapped his arms around her holding her tight and he continued to talk to her. He talked to her about what had happened so far and about Legolas.  
  
Finally he stood up lifting Fainu to her feet as well, "I have to go now. I'll try to get Legolas to come and visit you." He smiled gently at the dark elf.  
  
"Please no. I can't stand the silence please." Fainu grabbed him and held onto him  
  
"Why don't you want to be alone?" Malminya asked.  
  
"He won't leave me alone; he makes promises in the dark. Please don't leave me." Fainu whimpered.  
  
"He? The Dark Lord?" Malminya asked his eyes going wide.  
  
Fainu nodded and refused to let go of him. Malminya licked his lips he would have left the guards with her but after the way they had treated her he could not trust them. "We have to leave for a little while. I'll send Elanor down as soon as I find her. But it might take a couple minutes." Fainu continued to hold onto him though. "Fainu I have to leave, if you don't I'll have to let the guards take you off of me."  
  
The dark elf let go and shot over to a corner, Malminya could tell that she was terrified of being left alone in the darkness with the Dark Lord somehow being able to communicate with her but having the guards touch her frightened her even more. He scowled at the guards and motioned for them to follow him. The crown prince raced up the stairs and went directly to Fainu's room; he hoped that Elanor was still cleaning up in there. He ignored the questions that servants and other elves called to him; he knew that he looked strange; he was dirty and almost running. He was sure that he would hear about the proper decorum of a Crown Prince from his father later but he needed to get someone that Fainu trusted down to her or something terrible would happen.  
  
"Elanor?" He called as he swung the door to what had been Fainu's room open.  
  
"Elanor has asked for a day off, she was terribly attached to that awful dark elf." The servant that was cleaning up the room.  
  
"Hold your tongue servant. You did not know her, probably not even to just see her." Malminya answered.  
  
"No Prince Malminya I would not but I am sure that she can not be that wonderful if she is the daughter of the Dark Lord." The servant answered calmly stripping down the bed.  
  
"Hold your tongue. She is far fairer in mind and beauty than you ever will be." Malminya growled. "Did Elanor say where she was going?"  
  
"She said she was going to her home for the remainder of the day to mourn over the Dark elf." The servant said piling the silk sheets in a corner near the door.  
  
"If she comes here tell her to go to see Fainu immediately. That is an order servant." Malminya said twirling to see go to Elanor's home and leaving no room for the servant to question him.  
  
He was met by Legolas on the way out of Fainu's room. "Legolas go to Fainu's cell and keep her company until Elanor gets there." Malminya said coolly.  
  
"Why should I go to the cell of an elf that lies about her past?" Legolas asked looking at his brother carefully; he could tell that Malminya was almost panicked.  
  
"If you don't go she may give into the Dark Lord and then all will be lost. She has told me that he is making promises to her, all he needs is for her to say yes and he will gain a power almost as great as his own." Malminya replied sharply.  
  
"The Dark Lord is speaking with her?" Legolas' eyes went wide.  
  
"He is and I fear that soon the prophecy will fully be set into motion with no return." Malminya answered. "I shall send Elanor as soon as I find her." With that Malminya turned and raced towards where the servant lived.  
  
Legolas turned and lifted his chin slightly, and headed towards the dungeon and the cell that held Fainu. The guards met him at the stairs and led him towards Fainu's cell without asking, already knowing that that was where the youngest prince was going.  
  
Fainu looked at the figure in the doorway from the corner that she had fled to when Malminya had left. She trembled, waiting for the guards to rush in and hold her on her knees.  
  
"Fainu?" Legolas whispered, he could not believe the change in the dark elf, she had been in the cell for slightly more than half a day and he could see that she was suffering from it greatly. He moved forward slowly, the guards did not advance on the dark elf this time since she herself had not moved.  
  
Fainu sat frozen in place, her father's words ringing in her head again.  
  
'Do you really think an elf will want someone like you? You are no better than an orc to him now. Nobody will ever want you.'  
  
Fainu lowered her eyes as Legolas crouched on front of her and looked her in the face. Legolas had never seen Fainu submit to anything like this before. "Fainu, please look at me." Legolas said as he gently lifted he chin.  
  
"I'm sorry." She whispered, refusing to meet his pleading eyes.  
  
"Sorry for what? I am the one who as done wrong, I can see that now." Legolas whispered and gently pulled her into his arms. "I do not deserve you, you deserve someone better. Some one more trusting than I am."  
  
Fainu glanced up at him, her pale blue eye fixed on him, "What am I to you?" She asked so quietly that at first Legolas did not think that he had heard her properly.  
  
"What are you to me?" He repeated, gently stroking her hair. "You are everything and I almost gave that up to the darkness."  
  
"Not an orc." Fainu whispered and wrapped her arms around her beloved, her fears slightly lifted for the moment.  
  
"Orc? Why would I ever think of you as an orc?" Legolas pushed her away from him and looked her in the eyes. "You will never be an orc; I love you to much to think of you as an orc. Who told you that I thought of you as an orc?"  
  
Fainu bit her lip and glanced down then slowly brought her eyes back up to his. "My father."  
  
Legolas tilted his head back in shock and alarm, Fainu was slowly being tainted into believing her fathers lies in the darkness that now constantly surrounded her. "He lies Fainu. You know that; don't believe anything that he says."  
  
"It is hard to ignore when he is the only one that had spoken to me." Fainu whispered. "I had started to believe that no one would ever come to see me." She trembled slightly at the thought of being locked in the darkness forever.  
  
"No." Legolas whispered and tightened his grip o her. "Never, Malminya would not allow it, and I will not allow it." Fainu sighed and relaxed in his arms.  
  
Malminya knocked on the door to Elanor's home, there was a slight noise from inside and the door cracked open to reveal the servants face.  
  
"What is it Prince Malminya?" Elanor asked softly opening the door fully.  
  
"I need you to go and visit Fainu." Malminya said softly.  
  
"Why do you want me to visit her?" Elanor said narrowing her eyes slightly.  
  
"Because right now she should not be alone, Legolas is with her now but I do not know if he will stay." Malminya said calmly. "Please, I ask this of you as an equal not as a prince."  
  
Elanor looked at the prince closely, "Are you sure that she is not completely mad?"  
  
"She never was mad; she has been fighting a mental battle with her father who wants her to agree to serve him before he will take her to him." Malminya said frowning looking at her.  
  
"She was fighting with her father?" Elanor put her hand to her mouth. "Did she speak out loud when she was fighting with him?"  
  
Malminya frowned slightly and nodded.  
  
"Oh no." Elanor quickly shut the door to her home behind her and followed the prince back to the palace. "I thought that she was talking to me."  
  
"You went down to see her?" Malminya looked at Elanor, who nodded slightly.  
  
"I thought that she was talking to me. She said to leave her alone and to go away." Elanor whispered. "If I had of known that she was battling the dark lord mentally I would have still probably been in the cell with her."  
  
"I am glad that you are that willing to stay with her. It may be needed." Malminya said softly. As the two quickly traveled through the hallways of the palace to where the dungeon was.  
  
Legolas had lifted Fainu up in his arms and had turned so that he could lean against the wall; he had had to reassure her a couple times that she was no orc to him. He glanced up when his brother reappeared in the doorway.  
  
Malminya smiled, relieved that Fainu was in his brothers arms, she was safe there. Elanor poked her head around the corner and saw the two before she raced in and wrapped her arms around the dark elf.  
  
"I'm so sorry that I didn't come in earlier, I thought that you were telling me to go away and, I'm so sorry." Elanor sobbed. She could tell that Fainu was shaken and that she needed exactly what she was getting.  
  
Fainu shifted so that she was pressed between the two as much as possible, she shut her eyes. 'So father nobody wants me and I am nothing more than an orc?' She had regained most of her trust in herself and she smirked.  
  
For once the voice remained silent.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Okay, all I have to do now is get Fainu to die by Kara J's standards.Shouldn't be too hard considering I am good at writing blood and gore scenes. Probably one more chapter then we get to the big bloody war that Kara J has been waiting for. Could be interesting, thought up a really neat ending for story. Will most like be followed by a sequel because of how I want to end it, can see Kara J killing me the sequel though.Neh.  
  
Author Babble:  
  
Red Demon: Ugh.need coffee. Need pep pill. Zzzzz *jerks back awake* can't sleep, have to continue story, hav-Zzzzz *jerks away* Stupid angel sanctuary Cd.putting me to Zzzzz *jerks awake* that does it. * pulls out Cd and saves story* They can wait until tomor Zzzzz  
  
Legolas: Poor thing. Had to hunt down her muse, bring it back and then finish the story.  
  
Aragorn: Poor thing? She's also made me keep my manly greasy hair washed and conditioned.  
  
Legolas: (Shakes head and lifts out cold author up and carries her away from the computer.) Perhaps if you were nicer to her then she'd be nice to you. She treats me perfectly well.  
  
Aragorn: Have you read the rough draft for the angst story she's plotting on sticking you and me in?  
  
Legolas: (Pauses) No, but then it's not as if she ACTUALLY does the stuff to me.  
  
Aragorn: (Smacks for head) You are such a blond.  
  
Legolas: (Rolls eye) But at least she treats me nicely.  
  
Aragorn: That's because you're an elf and she has an obsession with pointy- eared beings.  
  
Red Demon: (Murmurs in sleep) Pointy ears.  
  
Aragorn: See?  
  
Legolas: Still treats me the nicest. 


	15. Acceptance

Chapter 15  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Fainu sat quietly in the cell, Legolas and Elanor had left but she still felt strong. They had promised to return the next day as had Malminya. Her father had not tried to speak again, she knew that she could defeat him now; she would not fall, not this night. The door opened and a plate of food was set on the floor, she could smell it from where she sat and it was very tempting but she refused to go near the guards and they stood waiting for her to go to the food and eat.  
  
"Hurry up and eat your food dark one or we shall take it away." The guards said pushing the plate towards her with his foot.  
  
"I don't want to eat near you. Leave and I'll eat, I shall let you know when I am finished." Fainu replied narrowing her eyes slightly, she did not wish to go hungry but if the guard did not leave then she would.  
  
"Have a nice meal then." The guard laughed and motioned for the other guard to leave before he went to follow. Just before he left he kicked the floor sending a spray of dirt over the meal. Fainu glared at him before the door shut fully. She silently crept towards the food, knowing that the guards would probably come back in as soon as they heard her moving towards the food. They enjoyed tormenting her and had done so on the journey down to the cell and they were continuing to do so. She picked out the plate and returned to the far side of the room, she scraped off the dirt and slowly began to eat the food, her eyes fixed on the door waiting for the guards to reappear. When they did she was going to throw the wasted food at them, she did not know why she had thought to do so but it struck her as a way of paying them back for their cruelty. And as luck would have it the meal had been one that she had had as a child, and long ago she discovered that it had extremely good properties for causing messes. An evil smiled spread on her face as she finished her meal, it had been good but revenge for the pain that the guards had made her endure was even better. She slid the plate back across the floor and called out that she was finished, the wasted food split evenly in her hands. The door opened and the guard walked in and stared at the plate for a moment.  
  
"So you ate it all, isn't that typical? Filth eating dirt." The guards smirked and stepped in fully.  
  
"More than you know." Fainu through the food in one hand, the guards jaw had dropped in shock and the food landed in his mouth, the other handful flying after it hit his face between the eyes. The dark elf laughed at the face the elf made as he stood in shock. He picked up the plate and quickly turned and walked out to be greeted by the laughter of his companion; Fainu suddenly wished that she had divided the food into three portions so she could have hit the guard on the back of the head as well.  
  
Legolas sat by his father in the grand dining hall, he was going to talk to him later about Fainu. He had order a servant to take down a plate of food to Fainu; he hoped that she was enjoying it, because he could not be there with her. Malminya sat on the other side of his father, glancing to him every once in a while.  
  
"What is troubling you Malminya?" Thranduil asked finally letting his curiosity get the better of him.  
  
"I shall not speak of it hear but after we eat then I would like to speak with you." Malminya said glancing at Legolas.  
  
"May I join you as well Malminya?" Legolas asked knowing that his brother was going to talk their father about Fainu.  
  
"What is it that both of my sons would wish to confront me?" Thranduil asked frowning.  
  
"We shall discuss it after we eat father. I will not have an excellent meal disturbed if we were to get into a quarrel about what I wish to speak to you about." Malminya said diplomatically.  
  
"All right then. After this meal." Thranduil said wondering what would cause his remaining children to want to speak with him.  
  
The three finished their meals and spoke idly for a few moments before excusing themselves from the other Elven-lords that had eaten with them. As soon as they were out of the dining hall King Thranduil grabbed his son's arms. "What is it that you wished to talk to me about?"  
  
The two elven princes looked at each other then Legolas looked at his father and drew a breath. "We wish to speak to you about Fainu."  
  
Thranduil blinked at his youngest son, not sure if he had heard correctly. What was there to be discussed about the dark elf? "Is this true Malminya?"  
  
"It is father." The crown prince said softly pulling his father further away from the dining hall. "We think that she should be freed from the cell."  
  
"What!?" Thranduil bellowed. "She is the child of the dark lord and you wish her to be free? Are you mad?" The King looked closely at his to sons, who stood grimly before him.  
  
"I fear father that if you keep her in that cell she will lose her will to resist the call of her father." Malminya said quietly, refusing to let his father rile him. "I have heard her battling against her father mentally. If she is kept in that cell then freed by dark forces later, why would she resist them?" Malminya said calmly.  
  
"If dark forces were to come here I would have her killed." Thranduil said frowning.  
  
Legolas jerked his head back. "Killed?"  
  
"Of course, it is not very pleasant but I can think of no other solution to the problem." Thranduil said releasing Malminya and putting a gentle hand on his youngest sons other shoulder. Legolas jerked away from the touch.  
  
"If she were free she would not have the need to call upon her father for help to free her. Her father is poisoning her mind in the darkness with promises of freedom." Legolas almost snarled. "If she remains as she is, vulnerable to his promises then she will eventually fall to him and she will become our enemy. She is still our ally right now." Legolas seethed.  
  
"And how exactly how is the dark lord able to make promises to her? He is not in this land." Thranduil stated pointedly, he was staring to run out of patience with his children.  
  
"She is part Vela as is her father. You do not know how the gods speak when separated. She has their blood running in her veins." Malminya stated calmly. "Perhaps father she could be used to help us defeat him instead of being killed."  
  
"I will not stand to have someone so dangerous loosed in my kingdom! She has been poisoning your minds as well! I will not allow you to visit her any further for fear of your health. In fact I will not allow any to see her so that she doesn't destroy this kingdom with her lies." The King said releasing his sons he stormed off to go and make sure that none went into her cell aside from the guards to feed her.  
  
Legolas and Malminya looked to each other, fear showing in both of their eyes. They knew that Fainu would not last long, they had promised her that they would return and if she was left to the guards her betrayal to Middle- Earth would only be sped by isolation.  
  
Fainu slept in the furthest corner from the door curled up slightly; the cell had gotten cooler as time passed. The guards had left long ago the door locked well so that the only way out was by a key. The guard that Fainu had effectively gotten revenge on with the wasted food almost fear going and reporting what had happened to the king. He had not been able to get all of the food out of his hair and his tunic had gotten stained when some of it had fallen on it.  
  
Thranduil sat on his throne, his head in his hands as he thought about what his sons had said to him about the dark elf. He had sent another group of guard with orders to deny any entrance to her cell during the night. The other guards would be informed of their new orders when they arrived.  
  
Legolas knocked on Elanor's door; the servant opened the door quickly and smiled at Malminya and Legolas.  
  
"What is it? Has your father agreed?" She asked happily knowing that they were going to speak with him. "What is wrong? Why are you so downcast?"  
  
"Our father, he has ordered that she be put to death if any foul creatures attack our kingdom." Legolas said softly, his eyes held tears that he was trying desperately not to shed.  
  
"Killed? But she is to be set free?" Elanor said looking to Malminya who looked back at her in despair.  
  
"Nay. Father has forbidden her any visitors; he does not know the doom that he is bringing to our forest." Malminya shook his head slightly.  
  
"Perhaps we could get her out?" Elanor said hopefully."  
  
"We tried to sneak in before we came here. We can not even get into the dungeon; he ordered that no one except the guards be permitted into the dungeon." Legolas said softly glancing up at the fading light.  
  
"Then all is lost?" Elanor whispered and bowed her head.  
  
"I believe so." Malminya answered and moved closer to comfort his brother. Elanor also moved closer to him and offered him her support.  
  
"One night." Legolas whispered in his despair excepting the embraces from his brother and Fainu's friend. "That's all I had."  
  
"At least you had her for one night." Malminya whispered, rubbing his brothers back in small comforting circles.  
  
"It was not enough." Legolas answered pulling himself tighter to his older brother wanting to know that he was in comforting arms. Elanor looked at Malminya, but he was not paying attention to her, he was worried about his younger brother.  
  
"Everything has a purpose Legolas. We will find out soon enough what is to happen." Malminya said softly. Elanor moved closer and put her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I am sorry Legolas." She whispered.  
  
"Legolas, we should return now, or father will think ill." Malminya said softly knowing that what he said was true. Legolas nodded sullenly and pushed away from his older brother and wiped away the tears. Malminya suddenly felt a wave of fear, if his younger brother despaired too greatly he could die and that would not help Fainu if she were set free ever.  
  
Thranduil watched as Malminya gently led Legolas back to the palace, he did not know why his youngest child was acting as he was. Normally he did not like to be supported; he was the warrior of his children, the most skilled any way. He ran down to the entrance and went to his son. "Legolas? What is it that ails you so?" The king asked when he saw the grief in his son's eyes.  
  
"You already know." Legolas snarled. "Leave me be." Malminya had not expected his younger brother to act this way, Thranduil had not either. The King of the woodland realm jumped back slightly and looked at his son sadly.  
  
"You will see one day that what I have done is the best thing." Thranduil said softly and turned. Legolas glared at his fathers retreating back.  
  
"One day father you will see the folly of what you are doing." Legolas answered to the retreating back. Thranduil turned and looked at his son for a moment before he shook his head and went into the palace again. Malminya looked at his younger brother pointedly.  
  
"I do not think that that was the best thing for you to say Legolas." Malminya said softly looking his brother in the eye.  
  
"Does it truly matter Malminya? He has doomed us already." Legolas looked forlorn and withdrawn from the world.  
  
"You should not give up all hope; it is all that we have left dear brother." Malminya said softly.  
  
"I shall try for your sake then because I have been forced to forfeit that which I love the most." Legolas began to move forwards again. He longed only to drop to his bed and sleep until everything was over.  
  
Malminya shut his eyes, and nodded, releasing his grip on his younger brother's arm before following him into their home.  
  
Fainu slowly uncurled and yawned, her eyes quickly focusing to the dark cell. She did not know the hour but she was not panicked that one of her friends were not there to see her. It could be too early for them to be there, she would wait.  
  
The guards outside of her door heard the movement and opened the door. Fainu was stood quickly.  
  
"You don't get any food today because of that little stunt you pulled yesterday." The guard smirked slightly at the scowl she gave him.  
  
"Prince Legolas will not allow that." She said coolly.  
  
"Prince Legolas and Prince Malminya don't have a say in it. From now on it is just you and the other guards." The guard answered laughing at her cruelly. "You won't see any of them any more."  
  
Fainu frowned. "They said that they were coming. I trust their word."  
  
"King Thranduil has ordered that no one visits you. Have fun with the darkness." With that the guard smirked and shut the door. Fainu felt a panic rising up in her, she didn't fully trust what he said but she would wait. If what he said was true she would know in a couple hours at least.  
  
Legolas sat across from the dungeon; he had heard that Fainu was not being fed for the day when he sat with his father to eat. He had immediately risen and went to the dungeon doorway and sat across from it. His father had questioned why he was leaving and he had announced as loud as he could without shouting that he would not be eating unless Fainu was allowed to do so before he left. He silent will that Fainu to be strong and that he was going to cause his father as much grief as he possibly could, without getting himself killed though he was starting to think about doing that as well.  
  
"Legolas if you do not return to the dining hall right now I will have you- you." Thranduil sputtered as he yelled at his son.  
  
"You will what father? Put me in the dungeon as well? Hit me? What can you do father that will do me harm?" Legolas said calmly not taking his eyes from the entrance to the dungeon that was guarded by two of Thranduil's most loyal.  
  
"If I must then I shall strip you of your title." Thranduil said his face slightly red from anger. He had never been so embarrassed by one of his children's behaviour, they were princes and they had standard that had to be kept.  
  
"That will change a lot father. The only thing that will do is give you the right to remove me from the palace and if I am enough of a nuisance this realm." Legolas smirked slightly. He did not care about his title, if he had to become a slave in order to free Fainu he would in a heartbeat.  
  
"You do not care for your title?" Thranduil asked slightly shocked.  
  
"The only thing I care for at the moment father is the thing that you have banished from Malminya and I." Legolas stated calmly.  
  
"Fine if you do not return to the dining hall now I shall give the orders to the guards to torture Fainu." Thranduil knew that his words were cruel but he would not have his child misbehaving like this.  
  
Legolas stiffened slightly and then stood slowly. "You win Thranduil, but know that after I finish eating I shall be heading for Rivendell so that I will not have to constantly be in the presence of my enemy."  
  
Thranduil raised his chin slightly and turned to return to the dining hall, his youngest son in tow. He inwardly was terrified that what Legolas had said was true, but he would not stop his son from leaving though he would make it difficult.  
  
Fainu curled her legs to her chest; her stomach growled telling her that it was empty. She sighed softly; she knew that Legolas and the others would come soon. They had promised her that they wouldn't leave her alone, they would come.  
  
'What if they lied to you little one?' Her father said softly.  
  
"They wouldn't lie." She said softly, "I trust them."  
  
'They aren't going to come. They don't want anything to do with you anymore.'  
  
"You are the one that lies, leave me alone." She stood and began to pace, she allowed her footsteps to fall heavily to give her a distraction from the voice that now tried to persuade her.  
  
'I am not lying. They will not come. When they do not come what will you do child?' Devorque whispered in her mind. Fainu licked her lips and glanced to the door.  
  
"They will." She said firmly though she felt doubt creeping into her now.  
  
'You aren't sure are you anymore. Are you?' Devorque sounded pleased with himself.  
  
"If they do not come it will not be because they didn't want to." Fainu whispered into the darkness. "They are my friends."  
  
'They just want you for the power that you hold and that I can release from you. They don't want you for anything else.'  
  
"You lie." Fainu stated firmly.  
  
'They aren't coming. I will wait for you once you realize that I am telling the truth. I will free you.' With that the voice fell silent, knowing that he had planted a seed of doubt in her very soul and that it would only be a short while and she would become his.  
  
Fainu sat down again, the voice was silent. She leaned back against the wall, and silently prayed that they came. She did not know what she would do if they did not, perhaps she would fall prey to her fathers will and then she would be lost.  
  
Legolas was in his room packing a small bag that he would take with him, Malminya watched his brother from the door.  
  
"Isn't there a better way to deal with father?" The crown prince asked softly. "If you leave how will you do Fainu any good?"  
  
"I will do her no good here either. If father lifts the ban then sent the fastest messenger and I will return." Legolas said stuffing his final supplies in the pack; he slung it over his shoulder beside his quiver and bow before he lifted up his long knives. He checked their edges before he sheathed them and strode to the door.  
  
"I will try my best then with out you to get her freed. I am sure that she will understand." Malminya looked at his brother closely and put his hand on his shoulder. "Take care of yourself little brother."  
  
"I will." Legolas smiled weakly and continued down the hall his older brother followed to see him off.  
  
Thranduil stood at the door and watched his sons; Legolas was in travelling cloths so he knew that he was fulfilling his threat of leaving. He stepped in front of the door and glared at his youngest son. "You will not take that which is mine, Legolas."  
  
"That which is yours? I care only what I need." Legolas frowned at his father.  
  
"Your carry items that I had given to you as a prince. You are no longer that return them." Thranduil said coolly. Legolas hardened his jaw and removed the pack as well as his long knives. He would not relinquish his bow and quiver to his father. Galadriel had given them to him ling ago.  
  
"Would you like my travelling boots as well father or does it please you that I travel with as little as I do now?" Legolas glared at his father. He knew that his father was doing this to get him to stay, but he had no reason to.  
  
"You may keep the boots. They fit only you, others will be able to use the blades and other supplies." Thranduil said softly, his effort to dissuade his son had not worked.  
  
"Then I shall be off King Thranduil." With that the prince pushed through the door Thranduil followed, ignoring the glare that he was getting from Malminya who followed closely behind him. Legolas patted his horse gently and moved to mount.  
  
"You will not take one of the elven horses of this realm." Thranduil said sharply. This was the last thing that he could do to stop his son.  
  
"Fine King Thranduil, I shall not deprive you of one of the two extra horses that you have. I shall walk, for I have travelled further by foot before." With that the prince left as the sun sat high in the sky.  
  
Fainu licked her lips and glanced to the door, there had not been a single noise outside of the cell, it was as if the guards were not even there. She had waited the entire day until she was too tired and fell asleep, the guards had not returned to feed her but she was sure that and entire day had passed. Perhaps her father was right, her heart grieved at that thought, she wanted to see anybody. She would even settle to see the guards that treated her cruelly, anybody. She began to shake at the thought of staying alone and being starved, she wondered how long it would take for her to die.  
  
'You don't have to die little one. I can free you.' Devorque gently pressed.  
  
Fainu was almost grateful for the break in the silence. "I don't wish to be freed by you."  
  
'Legolas will not come for you. He has left Mirkwood completely.'  
  
"You lie." Fainu growled. Legolas would not leave.  
  
'He is already gone. He heads for the House of Elrond, he left in such a hurry to get away from you that he did not even take supplies.'  
  
"Be quiet." Fainu whispered, silent tears streaming down her face, somehow she knew that Legolas had indeed left her in Mirkwood.  
  
'I can free you.' Devorque said again calmly.  
  
"How?" Fainu finally whispered unable to hold back her desire to be free.  
  
'Will you join me?' Devorque asked calmly.  
  
"If I am freed from this place." Fainu finally whispered as she hung her head.  
  
'Then follow what I say and you will be freed.' Devorque answered. Fainu cringed; she could almost see the twisted smile of triumph in her mind. 'Stand.'  
  
Fainu stood, she wanted freedom, she hated this cell she hated the abandonment of her friends.  
  
'Good child now wait.'  
  
Fainu nodded and shut her eyes slightly; suddenly she could hear the sound of rushed footsteps. The door flew open and the guards snarled at her. She raised her chin slightly and prepared to fight them. 'No child let them take you. They will take you from this dungeon.' Fainu mental nodded and submitted to the harsh hands that pulled her from the cell and towards freedom, even if they though that they were leading her to death.  
  
Legolas turned he could feel a dark force descending upon his home, "Fainu, you didn't give up did you?" He knew though in his heart that she had, it had been almost a day and a half since he had left and he knew that she would break if left alone when he had first seen her in the cell. He turned quickly and ran back towards his home. He was not truly welcome there but he would not let if fall without at least trying to fight it.  
Fainu could hear screams of terror all around her as elves were attacked by Uruk-hai and orcs. The guards pulled her quickly to an open court in the middle of the palace. King Thranduil was waiting there in his hand a long sword that was to end her life.  
  
"Kneel vile one. Your time is over." The guard said pushing her to her knees before the Elven-king. Fainu waited as she was forced to bare her neck.  
  
'Whistle.' The dark lord whispered in her mind.  
  
"I am sorry young one that it has come to this." Thranduil whispered as he lowered the sward and tapped her on the back of the neck.  
  
Fainu froze suddenly realizing what she had done; she had agreed to serve her father. She was truly fallen, she clamped her lips shut and did not whistle.  
  
'What are you doing?' Devorque sounded panicked. Fainu felt the blade lift from her neck.  
  
"You know already." She whispered and shut her eyes and waited for death. In her head images of all the Sindarin elves that had fallen in their homes, in their realm played in her mind. She could not undo what she had done but she could halt it from furthering. She held her head still she heard the whistling of the blade as it started its decent and smiled.  
  
She had finished it.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
I admit it, Fainu probably wouldn't have thrown the food but I couldn't resist. It was brought on by watching a baby throwing its food around, that and watching Gundam Wing. Duo Maxwell can do strange things to ones mind even if he is only a cartoon character.  
  
No for you poor people who are going to start whining I'm not quite finished yet. 


	16. Bent Wills

Things you need to know:

'Blah' == Telepathy

== Scene change

Disclaimer: See one of the Former chapters, if you haven't memorized this sort of thing by now.

Chapter 16

The sword whistled through the air, and to Fainu it felt like an eternity. The world around her had faded from existence, the screams and battle cries didn't hit her sharp ears; there was only the sound of the sword. It was only when she heard the sound of steel hitting the stone ground that she realized her arms were no longer being held. Instantly she was upon her feet her bright blue eyes locked onto Thranduil, and the orc arrow piercing his shoulder. She looked towards the tall garden wall to fin two arcs, both armed with a bow. They looked at her questioningly, their globular eyes asking for permission to finish of the final elf that stood near her. She snarled letting them know that she would deal with him herself. Horrified that she knew how to respond to such creatures, her hand went to her mouth as soon as the two orcs nodded and leapt down from the wall to find more elves to kill. She bent low so that she was kneeling beside Thranduil. His eyes were turned away from her, and for an instant she paused, unsure of what to do, then her hand found its way to the arrow and pressed down upon it staunching the flow of blood. With a hiss Thranduil turned towards her, his eyes filled with hatred and betrayal.

"Hurry up and kill me you filthy witch." He glared at the younger elf and would have struck her if her could but he was in no position to move and he knew it.

"No." Fainu whispered her eyes rimmed with tears that did not fall. "No, I brought this and it was a mistake. I am sorry for what I have done, but I can not undo it. A storm is coming King Thranduil and it must be broken. Train an army, please, I know what I have started and I will try to hinder it as long as I can but you must prepare for a war."

"Why are you telling me this?" Thranduil asked perplexed at what she was saying.

"You are the closest thing I've had to a father in a long time." Fainu said calmly, her eyes though darted about making sure that there was no one else about. Seeing that they were alone she grabbed the kings shirt and tore it. "Stay still, there are still orcs about and you are in no condition to fight." With that she pressed the material around the arrow and pulled his hand up so that it would apply a bit of pressure. Thranduil felt a wave of sorrow and regret wash through him as her fingers touched his eyelids shutting his eyes so that it would look like he had died. "Tell Legolas that I am sorry." With that she stood up her eyes searching the skies for a brief instant before she brought her fingers to her lips and whistled. The shriek of the beast filled the air as it descended from the sky and the stench of it foul body swirled through the air and about the elven kingdom. The elves trembled in fear as the leathery wings folded back allowing it to dive towards the ground only for the wings to expand with a powerful stroke an instant later the object of the entire attack plucked neatly in its claws. With the beasts departing cry the orcs surged back from the elven realm and retreated for Mordor. They were heading for the safety of the deadly land of darkness.

'Did you really think that I would let my daughter fall?' The Dark Lord crooned gently, as Fainu watched the Elven realm fade into a distant speck far below her as the foul beast carrying her spiraled higher and higher. 'Don't worry my precious little one; you will be safe as soon as you reach your home.' Fainu shut her eyes; her last memories of Mirkwood and the home that she had come to love were of it in ruin and a blaze, destroyed by her own hand and lack of strength.

'I will never be safe.' She lamented as the wind tugged at her hair and clothing, her father though made not comment, for she was right, as long as elves existed then there would always be a threat.

The putrid stench from the winged beast made her head spin and she did not even realize that she was in Mordor until she felt stone beneath her feet. The long claws about her body loosened and she collapsed to the ground. Fainu lay still, not daring to move or open her eyes. She wanted this to be a nightmare, a surreal dream that she had strayed into off of the normal elven paths through the subconscious. Her nose though told her that this was as far from a dream as she would get.

Legolas looked back, his eyes widening with the cries from the trees, there were lamenting the Elven kingdom and the coming of orcs. Instantly he raced back for his home, he was well away from his home, well over two days of walking. He was spurred on though by a terrible shriek that caused him to slow his run for an instant. He had heard that call long ago, it was the cry of the winged beast that the nazgul had rode long before in the War of the Ring, and the creature that had taken his brother from their home so many years ago. He licked his lips and raced on, his imagination working hard on the possibilities of what was happening in his father's realm. He knew very well that he would most certainly not reach the elven realm before it was in ruin but the cries of the trees that caught his ears drove him on as he had never run before. He would help ay elves that survived the attack though, or he would die trying to find survivors. He would not abandon his home when it was under attack. The only thing that he hoped was that Fainu had not given into the calls of her father but he was not so sure that she was strong enough to mange on her own. The darkness was a terrible place to be alone.

"Fainu my dear little child you are safe now." Fainu struggled to push the voice from her mind only to realize that it was no longer in her mind but rather that it was as real as the nightmare that she had been dropped into. "Dear child, I know that this is not what you are use to but you will come to see that it is a truly beautiful place." Suddenly two strong hands lifted her up and set her onto her feet, as soon as she was sure that she was able to stay on her feet she tried to pull away from the hands.

"This place will never be beautiful, it is a lie!" Fainu spat as she finally opened her eyes and reached for her elven blades; blades that were not there.

"Why so you pull away from this Fainu, this is what you were born to become, destined by the stars to do." Devorque said gently reaching out to his daughter, trying to get past the harsh mental barriers that she had thrown up against him he could tell that she needed emotional support but he knew that she would not let him touch her yet.

Fainu glared at him and sent out her own telepathic emotions, "I may have been born your daughter but this is not my destiny!" She did not know what else to do but stand there she had no way of fighting anyone without her blades, she smirked slightly as her father took a step back as the waves of hate rolled over him, seeming to make him shrink back away from her.

"You have become quite powerful, there is not elf alive that can match your power, not even Lady Galadriel, and she has taken some of your power. How can you deny that which was always a part of you?" The tall figure stepped towards her again, keeping himself shadowed in his black cloak.

"I can deny it because I am not you, I am not a mon—" Fainu's sharp words were cut off as Devorque lowered the hood to his cloak revealing a face that was not twisted and gruesome as she had imagined. Instead she found herself looking into a near mirror image of herself; it was almost that of an elf. His face was sculpted and pale and gave off the ethereal glow of the elves. His hair was as black as the darkest moonless night; the only feature that was not akin to hers was his eyes. Hers were a fiery blue a mark of how much elven blood was in her, his eyes glowed a brilliant red. To her they looked like fires burned behind his eyes, he was far from what she had pictured. Suddenly her father smiled gently and offered her his hand and a gentle smile.

"I am not what you imagined." His voice slipped no into her mind and it was coated with and emotional wave of safety and happiness. He knew that she was the weakest that she would be right at that point; for her mental barriers had crashed down leaving her mind open to him. "How could I be my dear little daughter, after all something as beautiful as you could never come from something as ugly as this?" With that he projected the vision that he had found of him. A vision that she had created to help steal herself against his will. He could tell that his plan had worked, for rather than remembering her reasons for creating such an image she stepped back slightly, seeming to be ashamed of creating. He stopped forward again, close enough this time to warp an arm around her. "It is all right dear one." With that he led her gently to the edge of the platform that they were standing on. It was then that se realized that she was on the top of a tower, far below her was the black ground of Mordor and demons of a time long forgotten by men roamed the lands, their angry eyes blazing, orcs were everywhere and the skies were black with creatures as well. Fainu would have stepped back in horror but the strong arm of her father held her in place, this was no doubts in her mind. This would the fall of Middle Earth and Valinor; she did not even know if she could slow it enough so that there was a glimmer of hope for the races of Middle Earth. Devorque looked at Fainu, her blue eyes fixated on the vast numbers of soldiers that were at his disposal, he smiled at the thought that she too would create an army of her own that none would rival.

"Perhaps you would like to meet the other commanders?" Devorque said as he turned her away from the ledge and back to the center of the tower. He watched as she hesitated then nodded. He smiled and motioned with his free hand; one of the massive black rocks lifted from in front of them and revealed a long dark stairway. Fainu looked down into the darkness and steeled herself, throwing up a slight block on her mind knowing that her father would most likely continue to probe into her thoughts until he was sure that she was truly for him. Devorque glanced to her and then began to descend the stairs knowing that she had no weapons and could not possible harm him, he felt Fainu fall in step behind him for she had been a hunter and that alone required complete silence and simple because she was so skilled he was sure that he would need to watch her for a short time at least.

Fainu's eyes glanced about her, she was amazed by the stairway; it seemed to be carved out of the black stone as if the tower had been raised as one giant piece and then the rooms carved out of it for there was not a single seam in the stone. She became so enthralled with looking for a seam in the rock that she hardly realized that the tunnel was getting lighter and lighter until it was as if she was standing in one of the chambers in Mirkwood, the only difference was that the walls were black.

"The other commanders," with that Devorque out of her way letting her have a clear view of everything in the room, in it a massive table it's black surface polished so that the light in the room glittered of it's surface as if it were a diamond. Around the table sat fourteen chairs, two were empty and they sat at the very end of the table, a massive throne sat at the head of the table and Fainu knew instantly that that was her fathers seat, the other seat sat to the right and it was only slightly less grand, the rest were filled. It was only then that she looked at the other commanders that occupied the seats and instantly she recognized two of them. In the two seats closest to hers sat Itheal and Aranon. "Itheal is my second commander, Aranon is my third commander." Fainu heard the names, but her mind was locked on the fact that Itheal one of her fathers most loyal hunters was the second commander of the Dark Lords forces. "And you Fainu you are the first commander and will control the greatest force out of all of them, you will command a force that is greater than all of theirs combined." With that he walked calmly to the seat that was to be Fainu's and pulled it out. "You have been running from your destiny too long, come an embrace it." Devorque's eyes swirled with a mixture of pride and relief at Fainu as she calmly walked towards the chair and her father.

"Perhaps I have run too long." With that Fainu sat down, a plan swirling in the portion of her mind that was closed off from her fathers probing

Legolas could tell that he was close to home now; he could see the cruel marking of orcs that marred the ancient trees he was too exhausted though to be able to tell much else. He had not been able to find his way into any form, of sleep and was now thoroughly exhausted. The only thing that he wanted was to find out what had happened and if anyone had survived. He had been running for a day and a half now and his senses weren't as sharp as they should have been so when a stray orc jumped out of the dark forest all he could to was watch it as it raised it's sword high over his head.

"Watch out!"

Legolas heeded the voice and sidestepped his reaction though came far too late, the orcs blade was still going to cleave him and all he could do was watch. It didn't even occur to him that he was able to watch the sword complete its full swing because of the three elven arrows that buried themselves into the orcs flesh pushing it over far enough that the attack fell harmlessly wide as the orc collapsed his lifeblood pouring out from the fatal shots. The elven prince stared dumbly at the slain creature unable to fathom how he had shot it three times and his bow wasn't even in his hand.

"Are you all right?" Legolas turned his head towards the voice, he recognized it yet for some reason he couldn't place it.

Ferfarin walked slowly up to the elf, he had never seen any elf react so slowly to an orc, and this one seemed to be well armed and more than trained enough to deal with a single orc. What frightened him more thought was the fact that the elf wasn't seeing him but was looking right at him. In all of his years as a guardian of the woodland realm he had never seen any elf look so destitute, he stepped forward again so that he was within arms length of the elf when it finally occurred to him who the elf was, but judging from the elfs reaction it could not be Legolas. After all he had fought with Legolas many times and the prince was far swifter than that. "Legolas? Are you all right?" Ferfarin stepped up so that he was right in front of the elf and was glad that he had less than an instant later when the elf collapsed. The Guardian managed to keep the elf from hitting the ground, supporting the elf in one hand he whistled to his companions that he needed help and then began to undo the buckle that held the quiver and bow to the elfs back. By the time that he was finished the rest of his group had arrived and had begun to help. It didn't take long for the other elves to recognize him as Prince Legolas. After all it was a well known fact that the only elf in the Woodland Realm to carry a bow of Lothlorien was Legolas. Ferfarin was quite glad to hand over Legolas to his captain who, lifted the prince from the ground and carried him to the base of one of the trees.

"Ferfarin, take a message to Thranduil's Halls, let Prince Malminya know that Legolas had been found and that a horse is needed for him to be brought back to the Halls to be tended." Instantly the younger elf was off through the trees as the rest of the guardians stood watching Legolas as they waited for Ferfarin to return.

Malminya walked out of his fathers room his head bowed slightly as he tried to think of a way that he could possible get enough elves to search for his brother. There was so many things that needed to be tended to first though and there were not enough elves to manage all of the work that had to be finished before the search for Legolas could even begin. That didn't matter to him though; he needed to find Legolas even if it meant only finding an orc hewn body. He had heard the reports, the elves that had not been inside the palce had been devastated, so many of them were severely wounded and many had been killed. He was quite fortunate to have only two deaths to deal with inside the palace, and those were the deaths of the two guards that had taunted Fainu while she had been confined in the dungeon. While he did not openly show his approval he felt that they most definitely deserved what they got. When a servant bumped into him he turned grabbing the slightly smaller elf and pinned him to the wall. "You will show more respect to the royal house servant."

"Forgive me Prince Malminya, it was you that I came in search of." Ferfarin said softly, his eyes wide and his hand caught indecisively between trying to take some of the pressure off of his throat and his side.

"What do you want?" Malminya said releasing the elf noting that this wasn't one of the palace servants but one of the out guard members. He figured that it was another rport on how much damage had been done to the outer posts that had been created when they had returned to their realm.

"I bring a message from the Captain of the South Eastern post, Legolas was found." Ferfarin said calmly, slightly shocked by the sudden emotional outburst, he felt rather proud of himself for managing to stay so calm until his head connected with the wall again.

"Legolas was found? Is he all right? Or is he?" Malminya stared into the smaller elf's eyes trying to get an answer from them, his last question trailing off, he couldn't bare to think of his younger brother killed by orcs.

"He is in the care of my captain." Ferfarin almost squeaked. "Other than he seems to be completely exhausted he seems fine." Fortunately that was enough to get his tunic released from the iron grip that had held it as well as him off of the ground. Instead though he found himself being dragged down the hallway by the crown prince who seemed bent upon the retrieval of his brother, "The captain suggested that I return with a horse to transport Legolas back to the palace."

"Yes of course, take as many horses as you think you need, if you want take my horse!" Malminya said pulling Ferfarin towards the stables at a speed that the smaller elf was hard pressed to keep up.

"Of course Prince Malminya, don't worry your brother will be all right. And he will be back as fast as possible." Ferfarin said slipping from the princes grip and into the stable. Malminya stood for a moment and then wheeled about, at least now he would be able to deal with putting the kingdom back together without having to worry about finding his brothers body. So far today was a good day, at least compared to yesterday the elven prince thought sardonically as he walled back into the main area of his fathers halls.

Author Babble:

Legolas: ACK! Okay I thought the first version of theis chapter was horrible! But now rather than being a nobody I'm an unconscious nobody! Red!

RD: I'm sorry hun! I can't help it the first version just wasn't going to cut it.

Gimli: He's taking this rather well. Poor lady.

Aragorn: I'd say.

Kara-J: Potato chip?

Aragorn and Gimli: Why?

Kara-J: Well you see, unlike the last version of this chapter, RD has an idea off the tail end of this one. And well if you think Leggy has a lot to deal with now just wait... You know soap opera-ish. Very good snacking material.

Sesshoumaru: (Takes potato chip and sniffs it before eating it) She's right. If RD get's back on track that will mean very bad, I mean nice things will happen to princy. And then perhaps she can pay some attention to me.

Gimli: (Gets axe ready) If that lass thinks that she can get away with...

RD: Get away with what? (Disappears again)

Gimli: Gah! How does she do that?

RD: Magic. Actually I've beem practicing sneaking around. Very useful during University, and besides if your worried about Leggy you shouldn't be. You know I'd never physically hurt him just write about it.

Gimli: Well since you put it that way I don't see any harm in it. (Sits down on couch between Kara-J and Sesshoumaru.)

Aragorn: Man I was surprised you didn't pointy stick her to death for not fixing her story up faster.

Kara-J: Not worth it. I have discovered that she can actually train herself to ignore stuff like that. After she survived 17 years with her brother annoying her.

Runt: Weee! Look Red! I won the video game again!

RD: Let me guess you found a new cheat?

Runt: Hey that's not very nice (Suddenly sculpting knives fly through air landing beside Runts face) ACK!

RD: Go. Away. Now.

Kara-J: I think she's had enough being aggravated for the day. Some how I could see the pointy stick becoming excruciatingly unpleasant for anyone trying to prod her...

Sesshoumaru: Point taken.


End file.
